Not Too Shabby

Sherlock Holmes: Reviewed by Shaun.

I have already mentioned my long running battle to see Avatar, including many near misses before actually getting to see it, which we will discuss soon. It was during one of these near misses however, that we decided to watch Sherlock Holmes, the modern remake starring Robert Downey Jnr and Jude Law, and directed by Guy Ritchie, the director famous for making British gangster films, and for having had sex with Madonna on a regular basis.

Warner Brothers are keen to turn this into a highly profitable franchise, and have clearly spent a considerable sum of money marketing this movie, even going so far as to create a Sherlock Holmes online game.

So did the movie live up to the hype?

The simple answer is yes. And no.

Yes from a purely cinematic entertainment point of view. If you are looking to spend two hours chilling in the cinema, munching on some popcorn and just having some fun, then this is a movie to see. It’s not too taxing on the brain, will keep you entertained and interested with a fast moving plot, and has the right amount of humour, action and special effects to keep the baying masses happy.

Robert Downey Jnr’s Sherlock has a great rapport with Jude Law’s Watson, and there is certainly some chemistry there, almost to the point of a homosexual attraction. I haven’t seen that much blatant male on male sexual flirtation since Frodo Baggins and Samwise in the Lord of the Rings.

It works though, and you are quickly drawn in by the rogueish charm of Sherlock, perfectly complimented by the rugged, strong character of Watson.

There are times when Robert Downey Jnr’s British accent can be difficult to understand, but other than that the performances are pretty well polished throughout the cast, from Mark Strong’s dark characterisation of Lord Blackwood, to Rachel McAdams American heroine, Irene Adler.

So what wasn’t great about Sherlock Holmes?

The mystery element left me feeling a little unsatisfied. The ending didn’t leave me with that “ah ha!” moment you get when you realise how something was achieved at the end of a suspenseful film. Rather, it left me bemused and slightly disappointed with the outcome. Not to give away the plot, but there are heavy doses of what could perhaps be described as sci fi, or at least the use of too-modern-for-its-time technology, in the explanations of how Lord Blackwood was able to do what he did.

Taking that away though, Sherlock Holmes is still an entertaining romp, and a pretty good way to spend 2 hours of your time.

Sherlock Holmes scores a Steve-O rating of 3.

Oakes signing off.

Shaun Oakes

This was written by the hulking mass of manliness known as Shaun Oakes. If you enjoyed what he had to say, you owe it to yourself to follow him on Twitter at @shaunoakes. Do it now.