It’s fun, action-packed and very entertaining – sure to be a big success followed up with a sequel.
- Who's going to like it: Guy Ritchie directing a fun Hollywood movie, not a Guy Ritchie movie.
I’ve been excited for Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes for a long time. I’ve liked Ritchie since Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, loved him after Snatch, lost faith in him with Swept Away, was let down by Revolver, but fell right back in love with him again after Rocknrolla. His classic British gangster heist films are absolutely brilliant.
After going back to his roots with Rocknrolla, I had the utmost faith that he could do no wrong with Sherlock Holmes. But once I was sitting in the theater watching it, only minutes into the movie, I started to worry. Sherlock Holmes hits the ground running. The opening scenes feel like they might have been the final sequences to a previous movie, as if this movie was the second chapter in a trilogy and the opening scene was a refresher as to how the first movie ended – just like Robert Zemeckis did with the Back To The Future movies.
Although the opening sequence is good, it was the scene that followed that had me worried. The second sequence tries to quickly establish the characters, but doesn’t quite show the characters for who they are in the rest of the movie. The scene actually feels out of place, perhaps falling victim to too much editing. That’s my guess. But after that, the rest of the movie is a fun, smooth sailing rollercoaster-of-a-ride.
Coming off of a huge streak of fun films, Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) plays Sherlock Holmes – a imaginative realization of the character as I never pictured him being. Sherlock is arrogant, needy and possibly a little crazy. He and his sidekick partner Dr. Watson (Jude Law, Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow) have a friendship like that of a bickering, married-too-long couple. The strictly heterosexual chemistry that exists between them is priceless. They have too many memorably awesome scenes together to mention just one.
The story of Sherlock Holmes is not a very complicated one, but the blend of science versus mythology is a fun one. Holmes and Watson are following a trail of black magic and dark arts to capture the evil Lord Blackwood and put an end to his world-changing plan. Along the way, getting caught up in the mix is Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams, The Notebook) – a world renowned black widow thief.
After seeing Sherlock Holmes, there are two specific scenes that will come to mind whenever someone mentions the movie – two unforgettably cool action scenes. Not only will they be remembered for the unique special effects used, but for how fun, tense and playful they are. When you see the film, you’ll know exactly which two scenes I’m referring to.
Hands down, if you haven’t yet seen Avatar, Sherlock Holmes is the best movie to see this holiday weekend. It’s fun, action-packed and very entertaining – sure to be a big success followed up with a sequel.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.
(3 out of 5)
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