Sherlock Holmes was really James Bond??

Rating: 3/10 (13 January 2012)

In this dumbed-down society we live in where people seem to thrive on films brimming with explosions and car chases I can see why this film appeals to so many. However, to those of us who actually expected (perhaps naively) to see a Sherlock Holmes film with some good story telling, strong characters and something to actually stimulate our brains, it fails to deliver. In fact, on numerous occasions, I was battling to stay awake.
I don't have a problem with Robert Downey Jr or Jude Law as actors, but in this film they weren't at all believable. In fact, if I had walked in through the middle of this film without knowing what it was and without hearing familiar names, I'd have had no idea that it was supposed to be a Holmes story at all. Overall the film is daft, shallow and boring, feebly attempting to rely on the cheap thrills of action over plot and with, at times, all-over-the-place camera action to make even those with the strongest stomach feel somewhat dizzy and queasy. And why all the humour? Is the film supposed to be a mickey-take or a parody? I think not, so why inject all the humour? It's totally unnecessary and only serves to pull severely away from the Holmes stories and characters. If you're going to make a Sherlock Holmes film then you may as well do it properly or not at all.
In summary, perhaps if you go into it imagining that somehow James Bond has been transported back in time and is pretending to be Sherlock Holmes, then it might be almost palatable. Otherwise it's a complete let down, a shambolic excuse for a film.