Short story: Terrific movie. I’ll see it again.
Longer version:
Over at Ace a reviewer calls it this way:
This movie stuck to a great plot with terrific characters, and engaged the audience’s intellect with all the clues necessary to solve the case with Sherlock and Doc Watson, and also involved us viscerally with some truly entertaining and physically believable action sequences that never quite made me sit up and say "Stop swingin’ that big blue dork in my face!". All accompanied by a fantastic musical score by Hans Zimmer that was equal parts classical elegance, and rollicking pub
Exactly. Was Sherlock of the movie the Sherlock of the books? Sort of. Quirky, smart, deductive but with an edgy very physical dimension new to the movie.
I’ve read the books a long time ago, some more than once, plus a number of the short stories. And I’ll probably take my son & wife to see this again (they didn’t see it). And the movie sets the stage nicely for sequels as Holmes & Watson battle wits with the Moriarity.
So kudos for a well done movie.
December 28th, 2009 at 12:42 am
It got panned on At the Movies. They didn’t think it was true enough to the original characters, and just didn’t like Guy Ritchie’s jumpy style of directing. I was hoping for something more character driven and less action-flick.
Did you review “Defiance”? I was thinking of getting it.
December 28th, 2009 at 7:19 am
Sounds like that if you liked Ronald Howard and Basil Rathbone and recently Jeremy Brett as Holmes, you might not love an action-packed American style version. The shots on http://sherlock-holmes-movie.warnerbros.com/ don’t comport with my understanding of Holmes as a respectable Englishman who triumphs by his wits. But then, American movie goers seem to want new twists for their movies with explosions and high speed chases.
December 28th, 2009 at 7:56 am
I liked the Rathbone and Howard versions. I never trust “pro” movie reviewers – they are too jaded on movies.
This version of Holmes was diffferent. I liked it. Even in his “violence”, you got a full idea that it was very much his wits driving it.
December 28th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Well, sounds like I’ll just have to see it and find out. The worst that could happen is I get to see a good action flick. I do like the Jeremy Bretts version. That seems to be closer to the books.
I agree somewhat on your takeon pro-reviewers . It doesn’t seem like they go to the movies just for fun. They tend to give thumbs down on all but the artsiest flicks.