Sherlock Holmes - Movie Review

Cast:: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong

Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr John Watson think they have successfully resolved a case, when the murderer, Lord Blackwood is hanged for his crimes. But the black-magic practitioner returns from the dead to haunt London once again. Time to take up the case again.

Sherlock Holmes with a whole lot of hormones? Now that's not so elementary, my dear Watson! Specially, when entire generations of readers have grown up with memories of a vintage arm chair detective who never actually got his hands soiled, despite spending a lifetime tackling crime and criminals.

But here, there's not only a whole lot of bone-crunching and rib-busting that Holmes joyously indulges in, there's his perpetual grubby look, his overnight stubble, stained shirt and dissolute, world-weary attitude that totally reinvents the character, lock, stock and two smokin' barrels (read Guy Ritchie style). Add to this Robert Downey Jr.'s inherent edginess as reflected in his on and off screen personae and you have Arthur Conan Doyle's Victorian hero give up his deerstalker hat for a rakish insouciance that doesn't make him the most popular inhabitant of 221B Baker Street. Add to this the slight hint of a bromance between the mercurial Holmes and the more grounded Watson (Jude Law) and you have a complete make over of the classic detective series that thrills but doesn't dazzle.

May be it's the shadowy figure of Holmes arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty, that creates somewhat of an unequal fight in this, the detective's first outing. The filmmaker does promise to bring us Brad Pitt in the sequel, flashing his brand of evil, as Moriarty. But for now, we must contend with a flesh and blood baddie who doesn't really bring out the chills: Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), the practitioner of black magic who dreams of creating a new world order, born out of fear. The trouble with Blackwood is he's too much a Dan Brownish character, a member of a special sect, worshipping ancient rituals and traditions, dreaming of world supremacy. This does fill you with a dense of deja vu and makes you long for Conan Doyle's mean criminals, minus the mumbo jumbo.

Holmes, sulking at the thought of being separated from Watson who's moving out and getting married, is forcibly drawn out of his isolation at the behest of a to-be-hanged Blackwood. The dark lord promises to return after his death and wreak havoc on London, like never before. And return he does, sending the city in a tizzy. Because, as they say, when the dead return, the living begin to die. Holmes' problems suddenly seem to multiply. He must not only contend with Watson's impending separation and Blackwood's evil second coming, there's also his former girlfriend, the delectable thief, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) tormenting him with her tantalising comings and goings. So much, while a French-speaking assassin insists on pummelling him to pulp, Scotland Yard declares him a fugitive and the occult-worshipping Blackwood threatens to clean up the British Parliament....

Indeed, the reinvention of Sherlock Holmes does work well, even as a testosterone-high Holmes dons the superman mantle with glee. Foggy London is vintage and winsomely captured by cinematographer Philippe Rousellot and Hans Zimmer's music score provides a perfect backdrop tenor. But it is eventually the chemistry between Holmes and Watson (Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law) that adds wit and sparkle to the film. Incidentally, it works better than the Holmes and Adler (Downey Jr. and Rachel McAdams) romance.

Go, watch another of your heroes get in step with the times.

Robert Downey Jr. revisits his Iron Man charisma and creates a brand new version of the nineteenth century detective who gets airbrushed in the noughties' strokes. Jude Law complements him well as Watson, grappling with his desire to marry and settle down and yet remain loyal to his best buddy. Magical chemistry!

Arthur Conan Doyle does seem to take a back seat as writers Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg do a Dan Brown to the script.

The exchanges between Holmes and Watson are brimming over with witty one-liners minus the catch phrase: Elementary, my dear Watson!

Phillippe Rousselot deftly uses a judicious blend of long shots and close-ups to bring out the Gotham-city like characteristics of crime-infested London and the tempestuous nature of wide-eyed Holmes.

A great background music score by Hans Zimmer.

The film is based on the character created by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes became an iconic literary figure ever since he took his first bow in 1887 with the publication of A Study in Scarlet.

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