Facile pap

Rating: 2/10 (1 May 2012)

I wrote my university thesis on Sherlock Holmes. This is a crock of rubbish. Hollywood-ized, exaggerated, unbearable trash. It seems to expect us to believe that Holmes is a Matrix-era Neo with super-hero-styled martial arts abilities. Downey could hardly overact more without this film being deemed sheer comedy. Indeed, that would be what this is, were it not so woefully bad. 'Suspension of Disbelief', anyone"? Aye...not even worth a free download. One wonders why anyone would pass this script or agree to act in it. It must just be a cynical hope that some money can be made. The first film had, at least, a slight nod to the brilliant restrained excellence of a TV actor such as Jeremy Brett, in his utterly British, ironic and subtle acting of the detective icon. Downey and whoever acts Holmes (he's too 2D for me to care who he is)simply dissolve into a pap of loud SFX and rushed stereotypical trash. All that is sloppy with modern Hollywood distilled. I give two stars for the waterfall finale with Holmes and Moiraty: that was poignant....sadly undone by a facile ending.