Downey is smooth - fabric of tapestry weaved in this Baker Street epic is far from Irregular

Rating: 9/10 (2 January 2010)

Although I have "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" on DVD I have never watched a full Guy Ritchie event until now... I plan to make up for lost time ASAP! I am familiar with his ironic method of sending up a person based on their own foibles - as he did in his BMW feature "Star" with then spouse Madonna. Clive Owen in that case was the Watson, while Madonna was Holmes on a bad day, or bad decade maybe...
The ride was just as brisk in this totally original Sherlock Holmes venture, from when he plotted his pugilistic damage a la CSI or Sherlock/Downey Jr reverse engineering the solution to a felony in a manner reminiscent of the film based on a Philip K. Dick tale,"Paycheck." There was a massive hue and cry against the production from the beginning, where is his Deerstalker hat? What? No Meerschaum pipe? Those were Basil Rathbone's, dearie, this Sherlock is way closer to what was in the original stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's interpretation of Dr George Bell, the real Sherlock Holmes.
When noted Holmes fan club, Baker Street Irregulars - invitation only members, praised the film then this revelation tended to shut up most detractors.
Robert Downey Jr (RDJ) as Holmes portrayed all of Holmes' eccentricities to perfection, he's even better here than in Iron Man. While Jude Law as a smart, efficient Dr Watson, the ex-soldier and capable of his own deductions was a marvelous foil to Holmes' self-worship! Mark Strong as the demonic Blackwood was a great villain, he already had his chops blooded in such a capacity as 'Septimus' in the cinematic version of Neil Gaiman's "Stardust" and he easily could play a member of the Malfoys in Harry Potter! Eddie Marsan shows versatility from an American accented would-be bank robber in "Hancock" to the Cockney-slurred Inspector Lestrade who obviously had a love-hate admiration for the eternal detective.
Rachel McAdams as Sherlock's love-interest is a far cry from her usual sappy flicks such as "The Time Traveler's Wife" with Eric Bana or in the tear-jerker "The Notebook" which featured James Garner.
Guy Ritchie's direction while at a blistering pace, never left you wondering if you missed anything nor did it speed by so fast you did not feel a part of the ride. Details on details, yet grittiness and sepia tones appeared not only appropriate but to highlight rather than detract from the overall presentation... Is it worth the price of admission? Elementary!