Superb action mystery

Rating: 8/10 (1 February 2010)

From the opening shot of a camera rushing up behind a cart on the streets of London Guy Ritchie's signature kinetic style is on full display, and it is the fact that this energy is matched head on by Robert Downey Jr's exuberant turn as the titular hero that in large part makes this such an enjoyable film. This is a film where you cannot point at any singular part of the whole as the strongest part as it is impossible to imagine any without the other. The energy and wit of the script match the performances and the direction. It seems to be one of those movies where everything just fell into place.
For me some of the most enjoyable moments of the film were just watching Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr's banter as they go back and forth, they inhabit their characters in a way rarely found in larger Hollywood productions nowadays. Some of the awkward moments that occur between the two as they traverse their complicated and realistic relationship with each other are priceless. This isn't a deep movie by any means but it does touch on some interesting themes of friendship and the choices we have to make as we move forward in life.
A word must be said about the fight scenes. While they won't be winning any awards for kung fu choreography the melee is universally impressive and believable, except where it's turned on it's head for comic value. This ability of the film to jump back and forth effectively from violent comical romp to period mystery and back almost seamlessly illustrates Guy Ritchie's assured hand behind the camera, never veering too far into gravitas, and at the same time wholly avoiding camp. They are never making fun of the material, they are having fun with the material.
As far as I could tell the production design was flawless, every scene seemed as big or as small as it needed to be, and there are a couple of impressive set pieces thrown in there too. This movies budget came in at about $90 million and you can surely see it in the scenes where the set is literally being ripped apart. All in all Sherlock Holmes has a strong script, good acting (superb from Robert and Jude), great casting, and confident, imaginative direction from a director who seems to have found a project that plays to all of his strengths and none of his weaknesses.