Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Transmogrified by Guy Ritchie

Rating: 8/10 (4 April 2010)

SHERLOCK HOLMES a la Guy Ritchie - seems like a non sequitur, but the trade off of Doyle's cerebral manner with Ritchie's visceral visual version makes for a very interesting if at times frustrating film. The rather silly screen story was hatched by Lionel Wigram and Michael Robert Johnson (who also penned the screenplay in tandem with Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg) and despite the general lack of resemblance of Ritchie's concept of a messy, hygiene-challenged sot of a Holmes (as portrayed by Robert Downey, Jr) the overall result is a Victorian London come alive in a richly colorful way. Jude Law is placed in the shoes of Dr. Watson and makes them fit despite the original's more dignified persona. And the ever present quintessential evil - Professor Moriarty - becomes a rather excessively far-fetched immortal presence of Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), his accomplice is one Lord Coward (Hans Mathesen). Rachel Mc Adams adds to the flavor of Ritchie's kickboxing fast forward fighting Irene Adler, and Watson's affianced Mary Morstan is a look-quickly-before-she- disappears Kelly Reilly.
To be fair much of the original smart and sharp witted conversations and mind-workings of Holmes have been preserved: the dialog of the author's style comes in quickly delivered digressions amongst the explosions and CGI effects. The film is a long song and may lose a few to nodding off before the final credits, but stay awake if you can, because the artwork of the credits is startlingly fine!
Grady Harp