BOTTOM
LINE: “Sherlock
Holmes” is something of a surprise packet; entertaining, fast-paced
and true to the spirit and substance of the original Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle stories, but with modern twists and quirky updates to
the characters that purists may hate but work surprisingly well.
THE GOOD:
The previews for “Sherlock Holmes”
emphasised the comedy and action to an extent that I wondered whether
or not it could be taken seriously. Surprisingly, director Guy Ritchie
has fashioned a tale that is very true to the original stories by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The mysterious Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong)
is hanged for the murder of five women, but somehow manages to rise
from the dead, and in the process, sets about a plan where he will
take over the world as the representative of an evil, supernatural
power. The quirky, and extremely eccentric Sherlock Holmes (Robert
Downey Jr.) and his reluctant assistant Dr. Watson (Jude Law) unravel
the mystery using their brilliant means of deduction and discover
Blackwood is a total fraud, but a smart one who knew how to manipulate
scientific methods to make himself look otherworldly. What works
well is the fact that the story works just as well as the original
tales, with Holmes finding the most logical explanation for the
otherwise extraordinary situation. Director Guy Ritchie has made
some cosmetic changes, upping the action quotient, and making great
use of Robert Downey Jr to portray a Sherlock Holmes that is more
eccentric and whacky rather than the composed English gentleman;
this works well and is a surprise. The mystery is engaging, as is
the gradual appearance of super villain Moriarty, who we never actually
see, but will no doubt appear in the inevitable sequel. “Sherlock
Holmes” is great entertainment, and manages to update a story
that has been done many times before but in a fresh and energetic
way.
