Sherlock Holmes

Directed By: Guy Ritchie

Written By: Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, and Simon Kinberg

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, and Eddie Marsan

Director of Photography: Philippe Rousselot, Editor: James Herbert, Production Designer: Sarah Greenwood, Original Music: Hans Zimmer

Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material.

    Throughout the past decade, film studios have tried a new edge for their franchise material: the reboot. Casino Royale turned slick and sexy James Bond into a cold-hearted killer. Batman Begins made the campy caped crusader into an agent of fear that fights for good. And now comes Britain’s best detective and his trusty sidekick doctor. What has Warner Bros done with Sherlock Homes?

    Made him much more of an action hero than the residence of 221B Baker St. probably ever imagined. And that is not to disregard Sherlock Holmes as mindless entertainment—though it most certainly is—but to show that every hero can have an edge, which director Guy Ritchie and star Robert Downey Jr. most certainly have.

    Yes that is Mr. Downey Jr. behind the pipe and violin, channeling his Iron Man persona in a Pirates of the Caribbean setting. As Holmes, Mr. Downey Jr. gives him a bit of a quick witted tongue, well suited for the hero, along with some dashing good looks and strong muscles that add to his element of heroism. Along for the ride, in a surprisingly good turn, is Jude Law is Doctor Watson. The banter between these two actors—Mr. Downey Jr. crudely faking a British accent that may add to the annoyance of Mr. Law—makes for the best parts of this film. They fight and banter, and at the same time, work marvelously well as an action duo in the Victorian era. The cast is also rounded out by some stock characters, played well by their actors: the villain (Mark Strong), the foil (Eddie Marsan), and the girl (Rachel McAdams)

    Yet this is of course Mr. Ritchie behind the camera, the maker of films like Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels that are much more about explosions and “clever” (read: annoying) dialogue that add nothing to the screen. While Mr. Ritchie’s hands are all over this film, most poorly in some hilariously staged, over specialized action sequences (there are a couple good ones that go back to classics, especially a fun one in a boat shipyard).

    And despite the over-direction of Mr. Ritchie, the film succeeds due to the great cast of actors and the wonderful art direction, as well as Hans Zimmer’s pulsating and quirky score. As the detective and the doctor plow through the almost illogical plot, the dark corners of London come to life is a combination of Victorian era with a Pirates of the Caribbean grotesque and humor. The film zips through its plot, and while it rarely makes sense, Holmes is there at the end to explain every little detail in one of his classic monologues.

    Has Sherlock Holmes been trashed under such a revision? In part, we have a culture have lost something if our detective’s quick wit makes him realize how to best knock a man out instead of sneak past the enemy. However, Mr. Downey Jr. has brought his smirk and quirk to a character with appetizing fun and created an action hero that is always fun to watch, if completely harmless. Plus, with Professor Moriarty out there still, the adventures of the detective and doctor are sure to continue in numerous sequels, whether we like it or not.