Review: Sherlock Holmes

bill bodkin reviews Guy Ritchie’s re-imagining of the classic literary character …

The film-going public was left with an ambiguous piece of evidence this fall: the trailer for the new Sherlock Holmes movie.

It showed the new Holmes movie could either be a vehicle for the once-again red-hot Robert Downey Jr. to prove he’s a master actor and a charming son of a gun … OR another piece classic literature butchered like a Christmas goose in order to placate to the movie-going masses.

This evidence was so enticing that moviegoers, like the eponymous main character, would have to sift through clues (in this case, by watching the movie) and then come up with their own final Holmesian hypothesis on which film the trailer depicted a brilliant detective piece or a popcorn flick rife with potential but lacking in execution.

My final verdict …

A brilliant detective film teeming to the brim with excellent performances, a crackerjack plot and a tremendous amount of fun.

While the film’s trailer is filled with fisticuffs, explosions and witty one-liners, the real essence of the movie is a true Holmes novel come to life on the big screen — mysteries, clues and deductions.

The plot revolves around the mysterious Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), who has somehow risen from the dead and is back on his murderous path to try and take over the world. So it’s up to Sherlock Holmes (Downey), who is on the verge of leaving the business, and almost-engaged best friend and (life?) partner Doctor Watson (Jude Law) to try and figure everything out and save the day. Complication arise when Holmes’ former flame and Jersey Girl (seriously) Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) comes back into the picture, somehow involved in the whole plot.

Clues, like the body count, amass throughout the film and we watch in awe as Holmes sorts through everything while still managing to get drunk, argue with Watson and engage in bare-knuckle boxing. Thrilling action scenes ensue, and the audience is allowed to “ooh” and “ahh” with every explosion, furrow their brow with every new clue and chuckle with every one-liner Holmes effortlessly flings out.

It’s a wonderful cinematic experience, perfect for the Christmas season.

Now being this is a mystery movie, I can’t give away too much plot, but much like Sherlock Holmes, I have deduced a few things after viewing the film:

-Robert Downey Jr’s “comeback tour” can add another hit to its belt, as he absolutely carries this film on his back. Portraying Holmes as an oft-drunk, never-bathed but utterly charming and brilliant detective, one can compare Downey’s Holmes to one of the most beloved cinematic anti-heroes of the decade: Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow. Rarely off screen, Downey’s presence is both extremely comedic and intoxicating at the same time, you are utterly engrossed with his portrayal of Holmes.

-Jude Law was the perfect choice for Watson. While I was always in favor of Russell Crowe to portray Watson, Law sheds his pretty-boy image to portray the rough-and-ready Watson to the hilt. The perfect deadpan foil to Downey’s eccentric Holmes, Law proves he’s more than just a romantic lead.

-Mark Strong is a breakout star. His intense performance as Lord Blackwell is his third dominant performance in major releases. He stole the show in RocknRolla and Body Of Lies and his presence, second only to Downey’s, is the driving force of this film. His name is going to be popping up in a lot of movies in the near future.

-Director Guy Ritchie can do more than caper films. This is Ritchie’s biggest film to date, and his career was riding on this one after stringing together three unsuccessful films, both in terms of box office and critical acclaim. One of the major reasons Ritchie does so well with the film is that unlike his previous outings, he did not write it. His main focus throughout was simply directing, and he put his signature all over this film. Unique camera work, manic editing, tremendous use of sound and a raucous soundtrack — classic Ritchie elements — are evident throughout. He has proven he can be trusted with a big budget, big actors and a film that is set outside the world of witty gangster flicks.

Sherlock Holmes might not win out at the Oscars this year, but if you’re looking for one of the most entertaining films to be released this year, check it out.