Sherlock Holmes Review

At first I didn’t know what to expect from an updated Sherlock Holmes adventure, especially one directed by Guy Ritchie. I have to admit I expected a standard action flick, how wrong could I be.

Ritchie has made a film that has the complex and unexpected twists and turns of a traditional Holmes story, but this Holmes goes bare knuckle boxing. From the outset the audience is treated to spectacular blend of action and intelligence as Holmes (played by Robert Downey Jr) and the ever faithful Watson (Jude Law) fight their way into the lair of the evil Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong). Downey Jr’s Holmes is something that a cinema audience has never seen before, a drinker and a smoker, that uses martial arts to fight his enemies along with his razor sharp mind and wit, but those of you who have read Conan Doyle’s Books will recognise this man instantly.

Jude Law as Watson is superb and seems to have that onscreen chemistry with Downy Jr that is usually reserved for the leading lady, but here makes the relationship between the characters appear closer and more real that I have seen in film for quite a while. To save me from going through all of the characters and complementing the actors on their ability, in short this film is full of sterling performances with the only possible exception of Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler who never seemed to fit any of the scenes she was in, but this is possibly just the fact that everyone else is so good.

The tale of magic and murder baffles and confuses you as much as Holmes without ever leaving you confused enough to prevent you from following the story, and the action sequences are spectacular and exciting, showing Guy Ritchies gangster film pedigree. Over all this film is brilliant the humour, adventure action all blending perfectly to produce one of the films of the year and one of Ritchies best films to date, a funny and exciting romp through 19th century London.

Written by John Gibbins