Sherlock Holmes - BC

BY Emily Chan – Riverside Secondary, Port Coquitlam BC | Jan 21, 2010

4 stars

A memorable main character, star filled cast and clever script, set in gritty Victorian London, make for a must-see mystery.

Rating: PG
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong

What’s the story?
Within the chaotic cobblestone streets of Victorian London, the sarcastic-yet-brilliant Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) lives a life of adventure and espionage. Accompanied by the ever-reliable Watson (Law), Holmes uses his unparalleled deduction abilities to catch the city’s most notorious criminals, indulging in his experiments and eccentricities on days off. Until, that is, convicted murderer Lord Blackwood (Strong) reportedly rises from the dead, and Holmes is faced with a supernatural mystery that threatens to ruin not only his reputation, but all of England.

Thus begins a whirlwind adventure through gritty alleyways, opulent mansions, carcass-filled slaughterhouses and an underground maze of sewers as Holmes struggles to pair logic with a string of increasingly ambitious crimes, each of which appear to employ an ancient form of black magic.

Why see it?
Robert Downey Jr. makes for a delightfully sarcastic Sherlock Holmes, ever ready with a witty rebuttal and reckless choice of action guaranteed to surprise the audience. The dialogue is short, snappy and intelligent, especially between Holmes and Watson – one-liners flying back and forth as rapidly as a tennis ball in a Wimbledon match. With apparent nonchalance, even in the face of peril, Holmes easily joins the ranks of other cynical leading men – Captain Jack Sparrow and Doctor Gregory House to name a few.

Problems?
For traditionalists in search of a reserved Holmes and bumbling Watson, keep looking. Although the movie’s characters are based on the originals, they’ve been revamped to handle boxing rings, murderous Frenchmen, public jails and a fair amount of spontaneous fighting. Something else to keep in mind: although Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote four novels and 56 short stories starring Holmes, the plot for the film was written by a group of modern-day British screenwriters.

All in all:
A fast-paced adventure with equal parts action and wit.

Comments (1)
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Comments

Great

Submitted by Mr.Flexo on Tue, 07/06/2010 - 08:44.

Even though this Sherlock Holmes is not the person we expected it to be, it's still a great and funny movie. I loved it.

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