Good on its own, but not very true to the stories.

Rating: 8/10 (27 July 2014)

My rating for this movie is 8.7. Personally, I prefer the new TV show with Benedict Cumberpatch and Martin Freeman to this, but it's not bad on the whole. I'll start with the negative. Sherlock Holmes is not an action hero, and this movie sort of made him that based off of very little from the stories. His deductive powers are also more combative in the movie. I do like the different form of deduction, but the action spirit takes out the usual spirit of the character. On a similar note, the storyline is sort of like a compressing of several stories into one big plot with distinct villains. It's not bad as its own story, but not quite what Holmes fans usually look for. I also feel that the conflict is made too important in the sense that all of London is at stake. Part of the beauty of the original stories is that Sherlock and Watson take part in cases that are interesting, but only concerning a small group of people. Lastly for the negatives is Watson. I like sidekicks and I like that Jude Law's Watson is not completely awed by Holmes, but he is too averse to his partner to be a convincing friend. The fact that he is actually helpful is good, but Watson was really meant to be Sherlock Holmes friend and companion before anything else. On the positive side, I thought it was well cast and the presentation of Sherlock Holmes' deductions is wonderful. Watson is a good if non-traditional character. The makeshift disguises are very entertaining. The action is good as well and is placed into the story at a reasonable frequency. Hans Zimmer nailed the film score like always, adding to the overall mood. Lestrade and Irene Adler are well portrayed, and making Irene slightly more of a protagonist than an antagonist works out well. Downey's quirks are enjoyable but he still retains Sherlock Holmes air of intellectual superiority. To conclude, this movie is a solid, entertaining, and interesting watch, but can easily be a disappointment for anyone that wants to see a story like those of Arthur Conan Doyle's originals.