Sherlock Holmes

Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Simon Kinberg, Anthony Peckman, Michael Robert Johnson
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel Mcadams
Release Date: December 25, 2009
Length: 2 hours 8 minutes

Director Guy Ritchie (Rock N Rolla) takes on the newest installment of the Sherlock Holmes franchise, with the talented Robert Downey Jr in the lead. With the help of his sidekick Dr.Watson (Jude Law), Holmes must solve his latest case involving the creepy Dark Magic Master, Lord Blackwood played by the eerie Mark Strong. While this is happening, Holmes is being distracted by his past love, world class convict Irene Adler, played by the beautiful Rachel Mcadams. As someone who didn’t watch the original series and movies, I was very intrigued by the storyline and mystery of Sherlock Holmes. The script was very cleverly written by three male writers who incorporated themes from the old Sherlock Holmes, but kept the story fresh and modern at the same time. One thing in particular that the script had was the thought process of Holmes’ decisions to do things before he acts, which was very enjoyable. It seems that Robert Downey Jr can do just about any role and do it well, also.  Recently starring in Iron Man and Tropic Thunder, Downey Jr is staying on top in Hollywood. Rachel Mcadams was delightful as always and Jude Law is witty and charming in the role of Watson. Mark Strong was villainous as Lord Blackwood and with his help and the help of the writers; his character didn’t come off as cheesy and not scary, but came off as just an evil person with a twisted mind. Lord Blackwood was one of the subtlest villains I have seen on screen in a long time. Director Guy Ritchie used different slow and fast motion effects to make some scenes more interesting. The cinematography was outstanding capturing London at the turn of the 20^th century, while the tower bridge was still being built. There were a bit too many action scenes for me in this film. Some of them were carried off in a humorous way, so those were acceptable, but some just seemed to drag on and I would be glad when they were over. Overall, this was not the best film of the year, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. Sherlock Holmes has a great cast, an inventive storyline and an open ending that certainly promises a sequel.