Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan; Director: Guy Ritchie; Producers: Susan Downey, Dan Lin, Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram; Screenwriters: Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham; Music: Hans Zimmer; Editor: James Herbert; Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Crime; Cinematography: Philippe Rousselot; Distributor: 20th Century Fox; Location: UK; Running Time: 128 mins;Technical Assessment: 3.5
Moral Assessment: 3
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above
Before the fiendish Lord Blackwell (Mark Strong) can claim his sixth victim in a satanistic rite, master sleuth Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his sidekick Dr. Watson (Jude Law) burst into the scene and put the situation under control before the police arrive. Lord Blackwell is sent to the gallows but before the serial killer is hanged he prophesies that the murders will continue even after his execution. He is buried in a sealed tomb but in time is seemingly resurrected, beginning an exhilarating chase where clues are hunted and mysteries unraveled. As Blackwood predicted, the chaos and the mayhem continue, giving fresh challenges to Holmes and Watson. Things take a mystifying turn as Blackwell is discovered to be a member of a magic society.
A creation of author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), Sherlock Holmes is probably the best known detective in English (if not world) literature. The character has captivated readers so that it has been incarnated and reincarnated on film a countless number of times by a roster of actors that includes Charlton Heston, Roger Moore and Leonard Nimoy, “types” so different from one another. Now given new life and almost superhero status through the direction of Guy Ritchie, Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes may yet appeal to current audiences, whether or not they have encountered Holmes in Conan Doyle’s 56 short stories and four novels starring the character. When not sleuthing, Holmes is a boorish, arrogant know-it-all, unbearably self-absorbed and yet quite sympathetic. Such traits are apparent in Downey’s brilliant performance which is even given added fire by Law’s Watson. Their timing and chemistry make their action sequences thrilling and their bickering very amusing.
Detective movies are hardly material for discussions on morality or ethics, since audiences watch them for their suspense and brain-wracking value. They know that there are bad guys who must be punished in the end but fans are more interested in finding out who did what and how—how investigations are conducted, how mysteries are unraveled, and if their own calculations are validated in the conclusion. Detective movies challenge their fans to be vicarious detectives themselves, and Sherlock Holmes affords them that one pleasure. If you are looking for a whodunit with a witty script, a whiff of comedy and loads of action, Sherlock Holmes is it.
