Yeah it's not the Holmes you're thinking of- it's an even better one

Rating: 8/10 (22 August 2010)

Living with a die-hard Doyle fan, I had to hear all the terrible things about how this movie is "nothing like the real Sherlock Holmes" and how "dumb" it looks and "look at how stupid the trailers are" for months before this actually came out. So, naturally, the day after it opened (we weren't going to see it on Christmas!) I grabbed a friend and we went with the Holmes dork to "see how bad it is".
It's NOT bad. In fact, it's fantastic! I can't think of anyone who could've better delivered some of the sarcastic lines Holmes had than Robert Downey Jr. The role just seemed to fit him perfectly, and I enjoyed every minute of his screen time. (This might have been in part because he's just so hot but he played the role very well and deserved that Golden Globe he won.) And who could've better played the smart, mostly patient Watson than Jude Law? His funniest lines would demeaning what Holmes had just said, giving you a two for one- laughing first at what Holmes would say and then laughing again at the reaction. The "bromance" these two have on screen is just perfect. You couldn't ask for a better duo.
What the Holmes geek I went to see this with didn't understand is that people nowadays love seeing explosions and fights and hot romance. No, this movie didn't over-stress mindless fighting and random explosions. If one happened to come up it's because it fit, not because they wanted to pawn off mindless explosions.
Probably one of the best things about this movie is it's soundtrack! I rushed home and bought it and have since found myself listening to it over and over again. Half of them are somber and quiet, while the other half are exciting violin pieces. They fit the time period this movie's set in but don't bore most modern audiences (none of the people I saw in the theater looked very bored and most online reviews of the soundtrack are positive.)
When you think Sherlock Holmes a lot of people think of an uppity British guy who's way too smart solving mysteries. That's not Sherlock Holmes. This movie captures his other side: a bad-ass martial artist who's incredibly smart and knows that and rubs it in everyone's faces.
Omigosh I can't wait for the sequel to come out (12/16/11)! Now I'M the Holmes geek! :P