Sherlock Holmes

This is an example of how to appropriately reboot a franchise. Or kick start one. Sherlock Holmes is definitely presenting itself as the first entry into a franchise, but movies featuring the character of Sherlock Holmes in the past haven't really been intended as franchises, or at least never took off. But that's likely due to Robert Downey Jr. not being available. I mean, the man makes this movie. He made Iron Man awesome, so why not the same with one of the most well-known, albeit fictional, detectives in the world?

I'll start by saying how tentative I was about seeing this film at all. I've only ever read The Hound of the Baskervilles, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but that is the extent of my immediate Holmes knowledge. The rest comes from reading about the great detective, and what I've gleaned from the television series House. Having known of this connection prior to watching Sherlock Holmes, it becomes readily apparent how much the character House was modeled after Holmes. The crass, intellectual, and deductive personalities are traits both characters share (and an addiction to drugs, which the movie mostly sidesteps). But nothing listed above was reason for how cautious I was approaching Sherlock Holmes.

When I discovered Guy Ritchie was going to direct, I worried that he would turn Holmes into just another one of his gangster flicks he is most well-known for making. And early previews only seemed to make this all the more likely, featuring almost nothing but fighting, explosions, and wild, intense action; all of which is fair, figuring the Holmes character was known to be a master of fist-fighting and martial arts. There was nothing of the detective using his brilliance, or even what the mystery at the heart of the story would be. But I was wrong here. Ritchie surprised me, giving Holmes the dark universe he belongs to, but allowing him to be first a thinker, and a fighter second. And, lets be honest, there were some pretty incredible action scenes in the film, so I'm glad someone like Ritchie was able to capture it well.

But, aside from some pretty excellent casting, I think credit is due to the writing team. Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, and Simon Kinberg all did a terrific job writing the Holmes character. The screenplay isn't perfect, and probably could have used a little cleaning, but the mystery twists and turns, allowing Holmes to uncover the truth in his usual deductive and abrasive way. Giving Downey Jr. the role was about as smart a decision one could make, because it fits him so perfectly. He does an amazing job playing pretentious, self-centered characters like Sherlock Holmes and Tony Stark. Perhaps the sequel will give Holmes the chance to let loose and to face off against his archenemy Professor Moriarty in a battle of wits Vizzini would most certainly be jealous of.

Genre - Action (3.5)

Screenplay (3)
Acting (4)
Production (4)
Directing (3)