Absolutely brilliant!

Rating: 9/10 (6 February 2010)

I found it strange when I read reviews that people were labeling Guy Ritchie's new film as a travesty of sorts to the canon of Sherlock Holmes. Not only did I find the film delightfully refreshing, it is easily one of the best thrillers of the year. It plays like a classic mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes and injects enough kinetic action into it without sacrificing the integrity of the Holmes canon. In fact I would argue that not only does it not sacrifice the integrity, it ENHANCES it.
The vision of Sherlock Holmes with the deerstalker cap and the clogs and the meticulous tidy demeanor is one concocted purely in some fictional alternate universe where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle apparently never existed. The Sherlock Holmes from the book was a fast-living, eccentric, drug-abusing, fairly obnoxious character whose intelligence was not only a gift, but a curse; it managed to alienate everyone he had ever known, save for a few friends in the police force who admired him and his dearest friend, Dr. Watson (played by Jude Law). Not only is he a more energetic Holmes, he's a much more accurate and faithful one too. We get to see more of his physical side (in conjunction with a considerable amount of his mental side, in fact; I can't begin to count the number of times in the film we see Holmes use logical deduction and quick thinking to piece together facts, even at the eleventh hour). This is, again, in keeping with his character from the stories - he does know martial arts and he is a master of disguise.
The story itself is immensely entertaining too. The film starts out with him supposedly closing a case involving a Satanic serial killer, who turns out to be a nobleman in the House of Lords, namely, Lord Blackwood (who is yet another cameo character). Blackwood is tried and hanged soon thereafter, and old flame Irene Adler (ANOTHER cameo character - see, how can the Holmes enthusiasts NOT love this film?) comes to him with a case. There is a subplot about her working with another person, which I won't reveal as it's a fantastic revelation near the end of the film, but Holmes quickly discovers that her case is connected to Blackwood's - who apparently is no longer dead and has risen from the grave. The film is largely spent trying to figure out Blackwood's endgame, making logical leaps throughout and culminating in an intensely exciting climax.
Dr. Watson is a heavily improved character from the bumbling comic relief he served in the television series - in fact, he is more accurately depicted (though without the limp), as a veteran of the Afghan wars, and a stout, powerful man with some martial arts capabilities of his own. Most importantly, his relationship with Holmes as his closest friend, more than a brother, is given high importance and much more respectful treatment. Holmes is devastated to learn that Watson is not only getting engaged and married, but that he's going to move out of 221B Baker Street. The two prove to be nearly inseparable companions, although of course his irritation with Holmes does occasionally reach a boiling point (as it should).
Anyone - including those new to Holmes and Holmes fans/enthusiasts - is going to love this movie. It takes a ton of talent to produce a movie like this and I can't wait for a sequel.