Fact: I’m not a huge fan of mysteries. Fact #2: I have never read one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books.
But, I do like Jude Law, sh*t being blown up and men shirtless, so Sherlock Holmes is a pretty good fit for me.
And after seeing Robert Downey Jr. win a Golden Globe for his role, the curiosity got to be too much for me.
So away we go!
Movie: Sherlock Holmes
Rating: PG-13
Release date: December 25, 2009
Everyday Adventures’ grade: A-
Summary: The classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle characters are reinvented by director Guy Ritchie. Set in 19th Century London, Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Watson (Jude Law) are on a case involving the evil Lord Blackwood, which requires the help of Holmes’ love interest/enemy Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams).
My thoughts: The main reason I don’t like mysteries is because I never fully understand the plot until the end when everything falls into place. Of course, I love that reveal but it’s the waiting and trying to piece it together myself that can be frustrating. Fortunately, you are let in on the bigger mystery in pieces throughout the movie, which keeps me engaged and curious to learn what else I’m missing.
Ritchie’s directing style with a mix of frantic and slow motion camera movements is present throughout and rather than making you feel sick, it breaks up the long periods of dialogue and Robert Downey Jr. staring at the camera. His setting of 19th Century London looks a little Gangs Of New York-like, gritty, gray and unpleasant, but it’s effective with the overall tone of the movie.
Downey is intriguing as Holmes, dialing his Tony Stark impression down about four notches to still be entertaining but a little more damaged. Jude Law is a great Watson, trying to keep Holmes on the straight-and-narrow and withholding his desire for adventure. Rachel McAdams is good but not great. After meeting her character, she isn’t who I would have cast, but she’s effective.
And there is genuine suspense in the movie too. A few times I was grabbing my handrest and hiding behind my hands. I was also a little surprised this is rated PG-13 because a few scenes are a bit graphic and violent, but hey, what do I know?
I recommend this movie. I liked it much more than I thought I would but I don’t think Robert Downey Jr. should get used to winning awards for his role. He was good, but not “blow me away amazing.”
Did you see Sherlock Holmes? If so, what did you think?
I wanted to see it when it came out, but we never did. We’ll probably rent it sometime.
I haven’t seen it yet but Robert Downey Jr. looks scrumptious on that poster…
I saw this movie and I loved it. I thought that they did a great job turning the characters in the books into live characters on the screen. It was also great how Holmes thought process was depicted on screen to really give you a better understanding of his character.
well made but could have done with a bit more umph in the story..im sure there will be another one though, the acting is first rate though
I saw it and almost fell asleep! I find action/fight sequences boring (especially when you know who *has* to live) and I thought the ones in this movie went on too long. I’ve only ever read one of the books (Hound of the Baskervilles) and had a totally different impression of Watson’s character. However, I think Ritchie did a good job making him a foil to Holmes as opposed to a pandering puppy dog.