Review: Sherlock Holmes

Directed by: Guy Ritchie

Written by: Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Simon Kinberg

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan

Rating: [3.5/5]

Fiction contains several famous detectives who each apply their trade in a unique with none having more history and notoriety than Sherlock Holmes. He has manifested before our eyes in so many iterations and this approach brings a refreshing take on the famous detective while putting together a very entertaining tale at the center as well. 

After seemingly catching a very dangerous criminal Henry Blackwood (Mark Strong), Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) learns that degenerate somehow lives after being supposedly hung for his crimes. With Blackwood still on the loose Holmes and his partner Watson (Jude Law) must stop whatever next plot the madman may plan. 

Of the many things folks might remember about this iteration of Sherlock Holmes, it appears in the brawling scene. The one where he calculates every single move he must use to immobilize his opponent and win. Certainly one of the most memorable scenes that allow it to continue to stick around even many years later because of the precision and the creativity of breaking down one’s moves in such a manner. It gives the appearance of Holmes possessing some sort of superpower in the way he approaches a fight with someone and this common thread continues to permeate throughout the story as Blackwood does some supernatural acts throughout. It begs the question of mutants existing in this world or the power of Satan spawning through Blackwood existing. Either way, we have the world’s greatest detective on the case. 

As with any rendition of this character, getting the chemistry between Holmes and Watson remains paramount to the success of the project. Thankfully we get such a strong combination of Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. They take on the delightful banter they receive and establish the relationship between these two men through a mere couple of scenes. Downey provides the bravado and sly nature necessary for Holmes while Law portrays the more mild-mannered and procedural Watson. These two balance each other well by providing their own specific set of skills for solving the toughest of mysteries which includes the one covered in this narrative. 

The mystery they get wrapped into demonstrates a problem that goes much higher up the food chain than they originally anticipated, which makes it far more interesting as they need to discover what exactly Blackwood wants to achieve. When they do find out it proves to come with quite the delusion of grandeur but you have to appreciate someone who wants to really go for it. The way it further unravels brings plenty of intrigue and we continue to learn the motives of everyone involved and just how much danger the protagonists will find themselves in. The mystery, without question, matters mightily to the intrigue of any Sherlock Holmes story and in order to enrapture us on this ride for over two hours it should be something worthwhile and we receive just that with Blackwood and his group looking to wreak havoc on everyone around them. 

Anyone who has seen any Guy Ritchie could tell right away this feature had him at the directorial chair as his style has its fingerprints all over this movie. From some of the bits of dialogue to the way he films certain sequences, no one could confuse his style with anyone else’s which may serve as a distraction for some but becomes a big plus for the story and the rugged nature in which this story needed. If you want a Sherlock Holmes story that feels rough, no one could have stepped in and delivered like Ritchie, which makes this pairing quite the success as this film operates on a different approach to this character. 

With plenty of scenes to enjoy a strange mystery at the center and quite the charismatic duo at the center, Sherlock Holmes aims to please and does just that by the time the credits roll. We receive a more than adequate mystery to follow with an always reliable Mark Strong holding his own in his typical status as the villain of the story. Everything culminates in a unique iteration of Sherlock Holmes delivering a very Guy Ritchie style of humor and ruggedness to provide something very much worth watching with the perspective it gives of this character and the world he navigates.