The Rundown
Guy Ritchie returns to form with an excellent take on the original sleuthing mastermind.
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Review by Chris Mann
Sherlock Holmes is something of a paradox to me. It sees the return to form of a high calibre director in the form of Guy Ritchie, who hasn’t done anything really scintillating since Snatch. Whilst on the other hand, it sees the continuation of a superb run of performances from Robert Downey Jr, a man who only a few years ago was seemingly on a path to destruction through booze, drugs and run ins with the American equivalent of HM’s Constabulary. It seems as though he can do no wrong of late; a well deserved Academy Award nomination for Tropic Thunder, modest and understated supporting role in The Soloist and then he single-handedly delivered critical acclaim for John Favreau’s turn at a Marvel film (Iron Man). Don’t be fooled ladies and gentlemen, you WILL love RDJ as Sherlock Holmes and you WILL be excited that Ritchie leaves this instalment primed for a sequel. More on that later though…
It’s straight into the thick of it when the curtains are raised on Sherlock Holmes, as we watch our protagonist, along with his faithful assistant Dr Watson (Jude Law), bring down the shadowy villain Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong). Initially, I was distraught to see Strong’s character put to death for his crimes in an early sequence, but I was soon placated when the plot develops and we discover that Blackwood has mastered some of the dark arts and it seems, has cheated death. Supernatural themes repeat throughout the film enough to keep it fun but never to the detriment of the storyline’s plausibility.
With Blackwood on the rampage and poised to wipe out the Government in a carefully planned attack, it is up to Holmes and Watson to piece together the clues that their quarry has left behind before it is too late. So begins the inevitable cat and mouse game, which Ritchie rolls out to the audience with a recognisable aplomb.
What really gripped me about Holmes is the interpersonal relationship between the inspector and his friend Watson. Downey Jnr and Law have a good script to work from, but through their combined wit, off-hand quips and over-egged caddishness there is not doubt that they bring an extra element of charm to the characters that one does not gauge from Doyle’s novels. I think that much like Star Trek, Casino Royale and Batman Begins, what we get here is a modern re-invention of a timeless fictional character from a director who is not afraid to stray from what purists might wish for.
So, besides our protagonists stealing the show through their scene-stealing dialogue, what else do we get? Well, Mark Strong is faultless as the nascent villain. To anyone not familiar with him, I highly recommend you catch some of his other films, because he is a top talent who deserves to start landing some leading roles. The production team also do a fine job of recreating Victorian Britain with a convincing array of costumes and stages.
The only disappointing element of the film for me was the clumsy romance between Rachel McAdams and Downey Jnr. It feels largely unnecessary and lacks the kind of raw emotion that we come to assume of Downey Jnr’s Holmes. I don’t think it is down to performance, the way the film is crafted a romance feels a tad contrite and to deliver it effectively required more character development and thus more screen time.
The good news is that this may be just what we get in the next movie, which is already underway. Featuring the mysterious Moriarty, it has the potential to be even better than this. I sincerely hope that Downey Jnr continues to take roles as Sherlock Holmes and Tony Stark until he is forcibly retired because I for one will never get old of watching him.
It’s straight into the thick of it when the curtains are raised on Sherlock Holmes, as we watch our protagonist, along with his faithful assistant Dr Watson (Jude Law), bring down the shadowy villain Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong). Initially, I was distraught to see Strong’s character put to death for his crimes in an early sequence, but I was soon placated when the plot develops and we discover that Blackwood has mastered some of the dark arts and it seems, has cheated death. Supernatural themes repeat throughout the film enough to keep it fun but never to the detriment of the storyline’s plausibility.
With Blackwood on the rampage and poised to wipe out the Government in a carefully planned attack, it is up to Holmes and Watson to piece together the clues that their quarry has left behind before it is too late. So begins the inevitable cat and mouse game, which Ritchie rolls out to the audience with a recognisable aplomb.
What really gripped me about Holmes is the interpersonal relationship between the inspector and his friend Watson. Downey Jnr and Law have a good script to work from, but through their combined wit, off-hand quips and over-egged caddishness there is not doubt that they bring an extra element of charm to the characters that one does not gauge from Doyle’s novels. I think that much like Star Trek, Casino Royale and Batman Begins, what we get here is a modern re-invention of a timeless fictional character from a director who is not afraid to stray from what purists might wish for.
So, besides our protagonists stealing the show through their scene-stealing dialogue, what else do we get? Well, Mark Strong is faultless as the nascent villain. To anyone not familiar with him, I highly recommend you catch some of his other films, because he is a top talent who deserves to start landing some leading roles. The production team also do a fine job of recreating Victorian Britain with a convincing array of costumes and stages.
The only disappointing element of the film for me was the clumsy romance between Rachel McAdams and Downey Jnr. It feels largely unnecessary and lacks the kind of raw emotion that we come to assume of Downey Jnr’s Holmes. I don’t think it is down to performance, the way the film is crafted a romance feels a tad contrite and to deliver it effectively required more character development and thus more screen time.
The good news is that this may be just what we get in the next movie, which is already underway. Featuring the mysterious Moriarty, it has the potential to be even better than this. I sincerely hope that Downey Jnr continues to take roles as Sherlock Holmes and Tony Stark until he is forcibly retired because I for one will never get old of watching him.
People
Directed By
Guy Ritchie
Written By
Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Simon Kinberg, Lionel Wigram, Arthur Conan Doyle
Produced By
Bruce Berman, Steve Clark-Hall, Susan Downey, Peter Eskelsen, Dana Goldberg, Dan Lin, Joel Silver, Michael Tadross, Lionel Wigram
Starring
Rachel McAdams,
Robert Downey Jr.,
Jude Law,
Mark Strong,
Kelly Reilly,
James Fox,
Eddie Marsan,
Hans Matheson,
Geraldine James,
Bronagh Gallagher,