Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Director: Guy Ritchie

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Kelly Reilly

More Info: IMDB

Tagline: Nothing Escapes Him

Plot: Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

My Rating: 7/10

Would I watch it again? Yeah

I've never really delved into the world of Sherlock Holmes. I may have seen one of the Basil Rathbone pictures as a kid but that's about it. I can't think of a reason why I had avoided the most filmed character in movie history. After seeing this one, I'll have to see what I've been missing.


For as much as I admire Downey's work as well as that of Guy Ritchie's (I've loved all of his pictures but I haven't seen SWEPT AWAY (and won't) or ROCK N ROLLA yet), the trailer left me rolling my eyes with dread but not enough that I wouldn't go see the picture. For example, he's boxing? WFT? Well, it turns out that the literary Holmes did box and study Brazilian martial arts. But when you see the film, it all makes sense. You'll see.


Downey doesn't disappoint and he delivers the goods. I was worried he'd be too smarmy and turn in a performance that was not unlike Tony Stark in IRON MAN. No worries. He makes this roll his own. Jude Law must've gained a little weight since I saw him last. Well, that and age and a large mustache. I hardly recognized him. His Dr. Watson is a perfect match for Downey. Great teamwork between these two. Rachel McAdams plays Irene, Holmes' ex girl who's the only one to have bested him and twice at that. Maybe it's just me but it just seems like pandering to have made this character an American. And then there's Kelly Reilly as Watson's fiance, Mary. I'm at least thankful they didn't go with another typical pretty face. She's pretty but in that European kind of pretty.


With a strong first act, introducing the characters, lots of witty dialogue and nicely paced scenes setting up the story, it begins to slow down during the second and third acts which is too bad as Guy Ritchie certainly knows how to keep things moving ala LOCK, STOCK... and SNATCH. It's not boring by any stretch but the first third is so well paced that you can't help but feel the slowdown. The mystery to be solved is quite intricate and a bit far fetched, as you'll discover in the very quick wrap-up at the end as Holmes recounts the goings-on that he knew but kept from us. At first viewing, it works. I'm sure there will be plenty out there that will dissect it and find the plot holes but it didn't have me asking WTF so I don't mind.

I particularly liked how Ritchie slows a scene to see how Holmes' mind works. Holmes would walk himself through a fight, let's say, and quickly analyze the situation point-by-point, ending in the real-time follow-through of his conclusion. Very well done. I'm always bitching about how there's too much sound in modern film, how everything makes noise and too much of it. Here, there's a scene where our heroes are caught in a huge explosion. Ritchie goes with the "less is more" philosophy and pulls back on the sound and gives us little pieces, here and there, of softer, muted tones. Great execution.


In all it's a fun ride with no huge complaints. I would have like the pacing to be a bit tighter for the last third or so of the picture but it's still highly enjoyable. They set it up nicely for a sequel that REALLY whets your appetite for more. Hopefully this will do very well at the box office and Downey & company can bring us more 19th century adventures.