Sherlock Holmes

Rating: 5/10 (6 December 2010)

I was sort of interested in a new version of one of literature's greatest detectives, and then I was worried when I saw Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) was directing, but I watched it nonetheless. Basically Detective Sherlock Holmes (Golden Globe winning Robert Downey Jr.) and his faithful companion Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) have caught one of the deadliest killers in London, Lord Henry Blackwood (Mark Strong), who killed four people and was on his fifth with a satanic ritual. Months later his sentence of hanging is carried out, and with no cases to solve for ages Sherlock has resorted to fighting in the boxing ring, while Watson is engaged to be married to Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly). They are brought back together however by the reports that Blackwood has returned from the dead and is resuming his killing spree, so they are looking into all the facts as to how and why he is doing his stuff. While examining the clues, the pair get help from the capable former lover of Sherlock, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), and they also contending with the dim-witted Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan). All the clues lead to the big plot Blackwood has to take over the British government, and ultimately the world, with the help of a little black magic and some deadly chemical contraptions. In the end, Sherlock not only stops the plot, saves Irene and kills the villain, but all the facts are laid out for you to re-examine and fit all the pieces together. Also starring William Hope as Ambassador Standish, James Fox as Sir Thomas Rotheram, Hans Matheson as Lord Coward, Calendar Girls' Geraldine James as Mrs. Hudson, Robert Maillet as Dredger, Clive Russell as Captain Tanner and William Houston as Constable Clark. Downey Jr. was good at the English accent, and had a few very tiny giggles, but I found him just a little too eccentric as the famous detective, Law was alright as his sidekick, McAdams is quite sexy with her accent and attitude, and Strong is okay but pretty wooden as a villain. It was alright to see Holmes without the stereotypical deer stalker hat and calabash pipe, but at the same time, I might have preferred it, but for all the action and follow the clues element, not a bad period mystery thriller. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Art Direction and Best Music for Hans Zimmer. Worth watching!