Sherlock Holmes
Outside of Count Dracula, perhaps no classic character has been portrayed onscreen more than Arthur Conan Doyleâs beyond brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes, and certainly pop culture has ingrained a collective image of the character into our consciousness. Thus, Robert Downey Jr. should be commended for his gutsy decision to play Holmes as somewhat different than the reserved intellectual most people think of him as, instead taking on the character as an edgy, loose cannon genius who seems to go absolutely crazy when he doesnât have a case to work on and challenge his acumen. However, in this 2009 adaptation by director Guy Ritchie, Downey and company are saddled with a script that is clearly overwritten, lacking focus and trying to throw too many plot details at the viewer at a breakneck pace. Thus, what should have been the main concern of the story, that of Jude Lawâs Dr. John Watson seemingly wanting to marry and âretireâ from crimefighting but finding himself unable to do so because he so loves the thrill of the hunt and the life of an adventurer, is merely glossed over while the machinations of at least four (credited) writers all vie for attention and dilute what could have been a pretty good story, thus proving the old adage that when it comes to movie writing, too many cooks can and WILL spoil the broth. Regardless, Downey and Law make an able team, and while it is a bit disconcerting to see them engaging in fight scenes with a badass intent that would give Riggs and Murtaugh some pause, their chemistry is definitely there, and the camaraderie necessary for this type of endeavor keeps it from falling into the realm of total dreck. Many purists might scratch their heads at the addition of a âthird wheelâ member of the team who is also female (and described as the only person to have ever outsmarted Holmes), but Rachel McAdams has the beauty and charisma to prevent the viewer from ever disliking her, even as the ever present script makes it murky as to where her intentions and motivations lie. In the role of the villain, Ritchie regular Mark Strong brings some creepy presence to the part of a disgraced member of Parliament turned ritualistic serial killer, with the dynamic of him making regular folks believe that he is an all-powerful sorcerer when in fact he is just a top-notch scientific genius keeps things interesting and afloat. The film suffers from a confused story structure that throws in pointless moments from out of left field and beyond, such as Holmes suddenly turning up in a hospital disguised as a doctor to check on a wounded Watson, or our trio of heroes being caught in a huge explosion in a warehouse while barely getting a scratch on them, or maybe the putzy police inspector who seems to go from friend to foe and then back again, and of course Ritchieâs decision at the end to recap the entire film in the last five minutes and quickly explain EVERYTHING that weâve seen (including a couple of items that werenât really relevant) somewhat taxes the viewerâs patience. But once again, there IS Downey himself, such an accomplished mimic that being an American star playing a Brit is hardly jarring (especially after his revelatory turn as Charlie Chaplin) and the depicting of Holmes as someone as engages in underground pit fighting as a pastime (complete with analytical deduction of how he will bring his opponent down) makes many elements of this take of the legend seem fresh and new, even as Holmes takes on a seven foot giant (played by Robert Maillet, remembered by many WWF fans as âKurrganâ some years back). That, combined with several of his co-stars performances as well, redeems this project and keeps it from being the total disaster that one feared it could have beenâŚ
7/10