The World's Greatest Detective is back; in a new old-fashioned way!

Rating: 9/10 (18 January 2010)

The foggy gas-lit streets of 19th century London. The shared rooms at 221B Baker Street. The deerstalker hat, the violin, the pipe, the array of scattered notes, chemicals and weapons and the man, the legendary figure behind all these trappings...Sherlock Holmes. Ever since Arthur Conan Doyle exposed this, the greatest fictional creation in the history of England, if not the world, Holmes and his trusty companion Dr. Watson have enthralled millions with their antics in print and on screen, both big and small, light-hearted or dark, simple and complex...from the goldmine of Doyle's original short stories and novels to the propagandist wartime atmosphere of the Basil Rathbone films, to the Jeremy Brett TV series par excellence and much more. It was the latter actor's masterful portrayal of Holmes that has invariably stuck in the public consciousness and as such most people perceive Holmes as a highly introverted intellectual, a perfect middle-aged Victorian gentleman albeit slightly neurotic, a man more accustomed to using his mind than his fists. However in the process, people did forget that Conan Doyle's Holmes was a multi-faceted character, a man of action in addition to his intellectual pursuits, and not necessarily the prim and proper gentleman his screen adaptations often displayed him as being. Guy Ritche however has boldly set out to reinvent Holmes for a 21st century audience, albeit keeping in mind Arthur Conan Doyle's vision for the character and especially the 'other side' to him that was largely neglected previously.
The Holmes played by Robert Downey Jr. is not merely a detective (though his feats of detection are no less legendary than those of the literary version of the character)-he is also a legendary hero, a one man army, a Jack of All Trades-a martial arts expert, swordsman, shooter, master of disguise among other things. Far from being the perfect gentleman, he is a misfit, a bit of a rogue, blessed with a sardonic wit and a tinge of arrogance that he subtly and humorously reveals at times. Perhaps a greater departure from the previous screen versions of Watson is Jude Law's rendition of the doctor as a young, capable and highly competent man of action, an amateur detective in his own right. Holmes and Watson's relationship in this film, which critics have misinterpreted as being homosexual in nature, is in fact intensely amusing. Also notable is Rachel MacAdams portrayal of the femme fatale Irene Adler, the master thief and temptress who also happens to be the only woman Holmes has ever really cared for. And Mark Strong completes the strong cast with his powerful portrayal of the villainous Lord Blackwood who harnesses one of the greatest and deadliest forces the world has ever known: the power of belief and superstition.
Ritche may portray Holmes and Watson in the 19th century albeit he portrays them from a 21st century artistic viewpoint. The characters we see are Doyle's characters but from a modern perspective. For instance, Watsons exasperation with Holmes more unnatural behavior, while manifested rather subtly in the original stories is emphasized greatly in this film. Holmes and Watson's fighting prowess while no doubt alluded to in the stories, is vividly portrayed in the film. Even Holmes's attraction towards Adler, while very subtle and discreet in the Doyle stories, is made somewhat blatantly evident here. This modernization of perspective does not take away from the characters but rather enhances them greatly and makes them far more relevant and relatable to the present day cinema audiences.
Also to be commended is the vivid reconstruction of Victorian-era London.