Sherlock Holmes Flick

Greetings.

Last month I had the opportunity to see Guy Ritchie's adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, on the big screen. This film is the first cinematic adaptation of 'Holmes' in 77 years, and I must say, they did an amazing job.

(Warning: the following contains plot spoilers). The film opens with the titular character and eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes and his long suffering assistant Dr. John Watson tracking down a new villain, black magician Lord Blackwood (played by Mark Strong). The duo, aided by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marson), arrest Lord Blackwood before he can sacrifice a young woman in an occultic ritual, apparently to bolster his powers. Blackwood is sentenced to hang by the neck, which he does, barely 20 minutes into the film. But, lo and behold! Lord Blackwood rises from the grave, cheating death and now more powerful than ever! Watson is skeptical; he checked Blackwood's pulse himself and declared him dead. Holmes calmly gathers clues and deduces within his mind facts that we do not discover until the final 10 minutes. On top of it all, Holmes' old flame, the only woman to ever outwit him (twice), Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) reenters his life with an agenda of her own.

The acting was superb. Robert Downey Jr. captured Holmes' character and quirks perfectly, and acted out his eccentric persona with ensuing hilarity. Jude Law perfectly fitted Watson's trademark image seemlessly, sporting the traditional huge mutton chops. I don't even like Jude Law and I found his acting incredible!

The plot was well-rounded, and left you guessing until the very end. (Major spoiler): I loved how Sherlock, upon cornering Blackwood at the film's climax, revealed the secret to his 'magic' through pure logic and observation. The acting, as I've stated, was incredible, with the exception I think of Rachel McAdams, who's performance almost felt forced in comparison to Robert Downey Jr.'s. The soundtrack was different, but still well done, something of a combination of a high strung guitar and a ukulele (My mother later told me she hated it).

One thing that bothered me about the film was the preceding hype that Holmes and Watson are gay. Why does society needlessly conclude that because two men are close, they must be gay? Watson's not gay, he's getting married. And Holmes may share a house with Watson, but that was common for the time period. There is nothing even remotely homosexual about these characters. What vexes me the most is that the publishers have threatened to pull the rights to the sequel because Robert Downey Jr. hinted at the undertones in the two character's relationship. Please.

In conclusion, Sherlock Holmes was a great film. It held me until the end and is great to view twice in one week (which I did). It ranked number 2 in my Christmas films list, falling only behind James Cameron's Pocahontas, er, I mean, Avatar. I anticipate having the special edition on my shelf, and I look forward to the sequel (Can you say, Moriarty, people??).

- The BlueScreener