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FILM REVIEW: Holmes offers a holiday ride Ken Lowery, Jan 8, 2010
WARNER BROS. PHOTO
Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr., left) and Dr. Watson (Jude Law) recover after a run-in with a thug in Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material.
By Ken Lowery Staff Writer
Sherlock Holmes is one of the most-filmed characters in movie history. But the star of countless retellings, adaptations, revisions and re-imaginings is quite a bit more than that.
The literary creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, along with the works of Edgar Allan Poe, helped launched the detective genre and birthed over a century of rich, complex fiction that still sees itself played out on every police procedural on television and in the bestseller stands. Holmes, the quintessential brilliant (and somewhat unbalanced) detective, is a sturdy character.
Still, it’s nonetheless a little surprising to see him in the hands of director Guy Ritchie, best known for making crime movies with labyrinthine plots, colorful profanity and pitch-black humor.
Similarly surprising is the pedigree of the film’s writers: one (Michael Robert Johnson) has no previous writing credits, and the other (Anthony Peckham) has this season’s Invictus as his last job. Much as I admire most of Mr. Ritchie’s work, neither he nor his screenwriters would top my list for a faithful new Holmes creation.
But “a faithful new Holmes creation” isn’t what Mr. Ritchie and his writers had in mind. Their Sherlock Holmes is more an adventure pulp than a true mystery, shot through with bare-knuckle fighting (a staple of Mr. Ritchie’s work) and the occult menace of Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), whose threats of supernatural vengeance may well be genuine. This shift from traditional Holmes stories may be too much for some, but those who stick around will find themselves rewarded.
In this tale, Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his companion Dr. Watson (Jude Law) face off against Blackwood, who has seemingly risen from the dead to take over England, and from there, reclaim America and all of England’s other lost colonies. Ever the rationalist, Holmes believes Blackwood’s magic to be tricks and sleight of hand, but the threat of Blackwood’s allies in Parliament is very real.
There are complications, primarily on the home front. Dr. Watson has met and intends to marry a woman, which necessarily means he’ll be moving out of 221B Baker Street. Holmes, though stoic, is nonetheless not taking this well, and much of the movie’s humor comes from the many passive-aggressive ways he keeps Dr. Watson involved in his cases.
Also muddying the waters is the return of Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), the love of Holmes’ life and the one person who’s ever bested him. Adler’s a career criminal and con artist, and no one knows that better than Holmes, but he can’t resist helping her on a case that collides with Blackwood’s almost immediately.
For his part, Holmes is most likely to use his detective skills in the various fights he finds himself in; more than once, time slows down to a standstill as Holmes breaks down a threatening situation into a discussion of attacks, parries and countermoves, concluded with a tally of physical injuries and recovery time. Then he acts it out, executing his outline perfectly. Refreshingly, Mr. Ritchie is not interested in the slick fight mechanics of a Jason Bourne or 007 movie; these are barroom brawls with elements of slapstick.
It’s true that there isn’t much substance in this rendering of Holmes. Mr. Ritchie and his writers are far more interested in showing us a good time, and it’s the actors’ charisma as much as anything else that carries the day.
Mr. Downey is an inspired choice for the detective, as there are few marquee actors who do “intellectual lout” with such bottomless charm; no matter how the man cons you, you can’t help but want to give him a hand.
Mr. Law plays straight-man Dr. Watson well, giving him a muscular edge not typically seen in the novels or stories. The chemistry between Mr. Downey and Mr. Law is crucial to the film’s success. And Mr. Strong is a convincingly menacing figure, all dark clothes and sharp glares.
It’s only Ms. McAdams who seems out of place in the proceedings. Though usually excellent in a diverse range of movies, here she seems a bit like a little girl playing dress-up. Perhaps the fact that her character is the only non-Brit makes her seem out of place; then again, it could be that she’s simply not the savvy vamp who could snare a man like Holmes.
But Adler is a minor misstep in an otherwise fun, light adventure. Don’t bother trying to solve the mystery ahead of Holmes; just sit back and enjoy the ride.
WARNER BROS. PHOTO
But “a faithful new Holmes creation” isn’t what Mr. Ritchie and his writers had in mind. Their Sherlock Holmes is more an adventure pulp than a true mystery, shot through with bare-knuckle fighting (a staple of Mr. Ritchie’s work) and the occult menace of Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), whose threats of supernatural vengeance may well be genuine. This shift from traditional Holmes stories may be too much for some, but those who stick around will find themselves rewarded. 
