SHERLOCK HOLMES (Warner Bros.)
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Surprises in Hollywood come a dime a dozen and most times with a whole lot of fanfare. That’s just how it’s done and has been done for quite some time when it comes to major motion pictures around the hills and valleys of LA. And honestly, I doubt many of us would want to change that aspect of the famed city, as we all fall victim to the glitz and glamour this city produces on a daily basis in some way or fashion. Fact is, this methodology is what works and has proven to fill seats around the country for films that producers hope might just make a few bucks. Just think about the trailers you watch and how many times it’s the very reason you go to see the film or don’t go; but either way, these trailers serve their purpose quite well in the grand scheme of things. In the case of SHERLOCK HOLMES, the trailer might just make or break its success, as it could either pull people in or drive people away; ultimately leaving its fate hanging in the balance, even though underneath the surface it should have never been in question to begin with.
The story here, based loosely off the fictional character by the same name, follows Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Dr. Watson (Jude Law) as they chase after criminals and solve cases no one else wanted to touch. So, as they end a case involving a failed sacrifice attempt at the hands of Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), they walk away and at least for Holmes, this would be the last time he would work in three months. For Watson, he was moving on to better things, taking up a new business venture and hoping to marry his girlfriend while Holmes sat around his apartment, bored out of his mind and driving everyone around him crazy. It was then Holmes was summoned to Lord Blackwood’s own execution to speak with the dark lord, in which Blackwood told him that three more deaths would occur after his execution, changing the course of the world. So, after taking a case from Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), the only person known to outwit Holmes, news comes that the tomb containing Lord Blackwood was crushed and the body found in it was not his. This of course did not sit well with either Holmes or Watson, both of whom watched the dark lord hang with Watson even pronouncing him dead. The hanging was just the beginning to this twisted and all too mysterious case the famed duo never thought was possible until they were mired smack dab in the middle of it.
It’s no secret how hot Robert Downey Jr. has been lately and with this role, he is proving he is not quite ready to cool off yet. With IRON MAN 2 set to hit theaters later this summer, this guy is making sure you see him and remember. And you know what, good for him, after being forgotten about all those years prior to his rebirth around 02’ or 03’, depending on who you ask. To come back in the way he has is quite impressive and he finally seems to be enjoying his craft, which is great to see given the extreme talent this guy has. With his role as the iconic Sherlock Holmes, you can tell he was having fun. Initially, however, I wasn’t sure if he could pull this off, but based on how this story was told, he wound up being perfect for the role. He was able to walk that fine line between genius and edginess, both valued traits of the famed Sherlock Holmes.
For those of you that are wondering, yes, the director is the same Guy Ritchie that was married to the very lovely and often misunderstood Madonna until recently. But believe it or not, he was more than just her husband. Having said that, I can’t ignore the fact that I pretty much gave up on him as a director after watching his follow-up to SNATCH. To go from such unique and extremely moving work to garbage like SWEPT AWAY was a bit of a shock, so maybe Madonna did have some affect on him after all. But, either way, I’m glad he was finally able to dig himself out of whatever hole he was in, post divorce or not, to direct SHERLOCK HOLMES. And I can’t help but think with Ritchie not necessarily being the first option to direct this film, producers took a big gamble choosing him, but it paid off. Ritchie was the right choice, as no one else could have shown Holmes in this light, filled with so much action and intrigue, something no one had ever attempted to do with this character before. So I credit Ritchie’s vision with this film as it worked very well in creating an atmosphere that was both dark and rich at the same time. His unique style of filming, with narrow shots here and tricky angles there, made for some good entertainment. And he did all this while respecting the story, which actually was better than I thought it would be, given all the ridiculous action and humor surrounding it. So, who cares if some of it seems a bit over the top or fluffy, because at the end the day, I walked out satisfied, which is something I haven’t been able to say for a Guy Ritchie film in quite some time.
SHERLOCK HOLMES is not what it appears to be and I fear most people might not give it the chance it deserves. Sure, it’s wild and nothing like you would expect from this famed fictional character, but that’s actually a good thing. So just embrace it and don’t look back. I also was skeptical at first, but the more I watched the film, the more I respected what Guy Ritchie was trying to do, making me almost giddy at the thought of what could be next for this newly reborn series.
B
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Surprises in Hollywood come a dime a dozen and most times with a whole lot of fanfare. That’s just how it’s done and has been done for quite some time when it comes to major motion pictures around the hills and valleys of LA. And honestly, I doubt many of us would want to change that aspect of the famed city, as we all fall victim to the glitz and glamour this city produces on a daily basis in some way or fashion. Fact is, this methodology is what works and has proven to fill seats around the country for films that producers hope might just make a few bucks. Just think about the trailers you watch and how many times it’s the very reason you go to see the film or don’t go; but either way, these trailers serve their purpose quite well in the grand scheme of things. In the case of SHERLOCK HOLMES, the trailer might just make or break its success, as it could either pull people in or drive people away; ultimately leaving its fate hanging in the balance, even though underneath the surface it should have never been in question to begin with.
The story here, based loosely off the fictional character by the same name, follows Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Dr. Watson (Jude Law) as they chase after criminals and solve cases no one else wanted to touch. So, as they end a case involving a failed sacrifice attempt at the hands of Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), they walk away and at least for Holmes, this would be the last time he would work in three months. For Watson, he was moving on to better things, taking up a new business venture and hoping to marry his girlfriend while Holmes sat around his apartment, bored out of his mind and driving everyone around him crazy. It was then Holmes was summoned to Lord Blackwood’s own execution to speak with the dark lord, in which Blackwood told him that three more deaths would occur after his execution, changing the course of the world. So, after taking a case from Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), the only person known to outwit Holmes, news comes that the tomb containing Lord Blackwood was crushed and the body found in it was not his. This of course did not sit well with either Holmes or Watson, both of whom watched the dark lord hang with Watson even pronouncing him dead. The hanging was just the beginning to this twisted and all too mysterious case the famed duo never thought was possible until they were mired smack dab in the middle of it.
It’s no secret how hot Robert Downey Jr. has been lately and with this role, he is proving he is not quite ready to cool off yet. With IRON MAN 2 set to hit theaters later this summer, this guy is making sure you see him and remember. And you know what, good for him, after being forgotten about all those years prior to his rebirth around 02’ or 03’, depending on who you ask. To come back in the way he has is quite impressive and he finally seems to be enjoying his craft, which is great to see given the extreme talent this guy has. With his role as the iconic Sherlock Holmes, you can tell he was having fun. Initially, however, I wasn’t sure if he could pull this off, but based on how this story was told, he wound up being perfect for the role. He was able to walk that fine line between genius and edginess, both valued traits of the famed Sherlock Holmes.
That was important, especially with the back and forth nature of his relationship with Dr. Watson, played by Jude Law. These two are one of those pairs that on the surface don’t seem right, but the more you watch, the more you understand that their relationship, although complicated, works very well in their specific line of work. Their symbiotic relationship was largely responsible for the entertainment aspect of the movie. Both deserve a great deal of credit and for Law, it’s about time he returned to something prominent. Even in his supporting role, it makes you wonder where this guy has been the past couple years. So, it was good to see him and hopefully we see even more of him with this series and others. And speaking of others, a Ms. Rachel McAdams was present here, playing the role of Irene Adler, a thorn in Holmes side and someone that was both persuasive and vindictive, traits McAdams had a lot of enjoyment with here. And her version of Adler sort of grew on you the longer you watched and even though she might not of had as many scenes as the other two, she made her presence known, which is all you can ask for.
For those of you that are wondering, yes, the director is the same Guy Ritchie that was married to the very lovely and often misunderstood Madonna until recently. But believe it or not, he was more than just her husband. Having said that, I can’t ignore the fact that I pretty much gave up on him as a director after watching his follow-up to SNATCH. To go from such unique and extremely moving work to garbage like SWEPT AWAY was a bit of a shock, so maybe Madonna did have some affect on him after all. But, either way, I’m glad he was finally able to dig himself out of whatever hole he was in, post divorce or not, to direct SHERLOCK HOLMES. And I can’t help but think with Ritchie not necessarily being the first option to direct this film, producers took a big gamble choosing him, but it paid off. Ritchie was the right choice, as no one else could have shown Holmes in this light, filled with so much action and intrigue, something no one had ever attempted to do with this character before. So I credit Ritchie’s vision with this film as it worked very well in creating an atmosphere that was both dark and rich at the same time. His unique style of filming, with narrow shots here and tricky angles there, made for some good entertainment. And he did all this while respecting the story, which actually was better than I thought it would be, given all the ridiculous action and humor surrounding it. So, who cares if some of it seems a bit over the top or fluffy, because at the end the day, I walked out satisfied, which is something I haven’t been able to say for a Guy Ritchie film in quite some time.
SHERLOCK HOLMES is not what it appears to be and I fear most people might not give it the chance it deserves. Sure, it’s wild and nothing like you would expect from this famed fictional character, but that’s actually a good thing. So just embrace it and don’t look back. I also was skeptical at first, but the more I watched the film, the more I respected what Guy Ritchie was trying to do, making me almost giddy at the thought of what could be next for this newly reborn series.
B
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