Product: Seven Per Cent Solution [VHS] (1976)
Rating: 5.0
For Lovers of Sherlock Holmes
Based on the 1974 novel. "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.." by Nicholas Meyer, this movie is an affectionate tribute to the whole Holmes canon and to the much beloved character of Sherlock Holmes.In it, Holmes battles with his drug addiction, meets, resists, and ultimately teams up with one of the other great minds of his time. And, yes, he solves the crime and rescues the woman in distress.All of this could have been handled very cutely, with lots of heavy handed punch-lines and winking at the audience. It is not. All of the in-jokes will be obvious to devoted fans of the Sherlock Holmes books and movies. But you needn't be concerned that it might be played as broad humor or slapstick.The source material that is the inspiration for this story is handled with all due respect. That material IS stretched to accommodate the plot-line presented on this movie - But what would have been the use of NOT exploring any new areas outside the original books?It took me a few minutes to adjust to the familiar faces of Robert Duvall (as Dr. Watson) speaking with an English accent and Alan Arkin (as Sigmund Freud) speaking with a Viennese accent. But the effort needed was not too much of a strain.Nicol Williamson was a pure delight as Holmes - a lovely performance in all respects. He threw himself into the drug-induced Holmes the way that Alistair Sims inhabited the haunted Ebenezer Scrooge of "A Christmas Carol".This DVD will be a welcome addition to any enthusiast's collection of Sherlock Holmes books and movies. Too bad this made-on-demand edition has NO extras.Worth the money.