Since when is Mr. Holmes a cartoon character?

Rating: 5/10 (27 December 2011)

Sometimes one watches a movie and weeps because the story is so strong and compelling that it evokes a cathartic experience. And then there are movies that cause the eyelids to grow heavy and the mind to wander off to slumber land. This movie is in the latter category. Sherlock Holmes is not a cartoon character, yet this movie not only transforms Mr. Holmes into a cartoon character, he is a cross between Daffy Duck and James Bond. Not surprisingly, the movie provokes some unintended (or maybe intended) laughter, but with a ridiculous story that brings new meaning to the word contrived, there is little that can save this movie from DVD land where it belongs. Robert Downey and Jude Law give it a try, but their efforts are for naught. Sometimees the current is just too strong. The story is simply too implausible and the special effects too gratuitous. Okay, tastes change and maybe the producers are playing to a certain audience. But one thing that does not change is quality, and in this respect the movie could have been better.