Greetings friends!
Last Wednesday I did something that seems to be increasing rare in my life. I actually went out to see a movie in the theater. Now, I have nothing against the theater experience but it’s getting harder and harder to justify going out to see a film as the deck is increasing stacked against it. Thanks to 1080p HD, wide screen televisions, Blue-Ray players, Netflix, the short turn around time from theater to sale and the price of a movie ticket, I’m finding I really like watching a film at home better and better these days.
During the previews for Sherlock Holmes, they were doing the hard sell for live broadcasts of Prairie Home Companion and several Broadway shows so it’s clear they are feeling the pinch and actively seeking new ways to use the space. It also seems that 3-D films are an alternate draw to keep tails in seats these days as they seem to be popping up with a higher frequency than ever before.
All in all, it makes me kind of wonder how many years the current model for releasing films will continue. It’s hard to argue waiting for the home release when Netflix or On Demand will have it there just a short time later (plus the seats at my place are way more comfortable). This was a conversation topic between Katie and I as we returned home considering we just paid almost $17.50 to see Sherlock Holmes yet we bought the latest Harry Potter film on Blue-Ray for $19.95. Yes, it’s an increasingly hard sell.
Okay, enough of that rant. Time to talk Sherlock Holmes!
Overall, I would say that reactions to the film have been quite positive and I am right in line with those opinions. I really enjoyed the movie and the “bromance” between Holmes and Watson was not only strong, but one of the better depictions of male friendship I’ve seen in an action/adventure film in a while. For me, these two characters could not have been cast better and their interactions were the highlight of the film as they teased and played off each other constantly.
I found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed Jude Law as Watson. Initially I questioned this casting. I’m not sure why as I’ve not really seen him in a role I didn’t enjoy, but he became Watson in this film. Seeing his work in action was a treat and I found myself liking his character even over Holmes at times. Given how much I appreciate the range of acting skills Robert Downey Jr. brings to any film, this surprised me.
Downey is, as always, jaw-droppingly-good and becomes Sherlock Holmes. I didn’t question it for a minute and felt like I was seeing a version of the character designed to appeal to me. His obsessive and almost painful attention to detail really won me over as it showed the harsher side of the intellect of the character. Downey, who has at times led a flawed life, has always been a master of bringing that human weakness to a character. Here it gave him a venue to shine. I went in expecting to be impressed with his performance and was absolutely not disappointed.
I loved the atmosphere of the story. I’ve been a follower of Guy Ritchie films since Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels which is a personal favorite for me. That said, he can have winners and he can have losers for this viewer. Holmes is a solid hit out of the park and the CGI, where used, is almost seamless within the story. The setting lent itself well to the fun, lighthearted adventure fare of the story and the depictions of merry old England were wonderfully gritty, atmospheric and in the end beautiful.
One small complaint I had with the film was it left me feeling like I missed a clear “ah ha” moment I wanted when the credits rolled. I wanted a Sixth Sense kind of reveal at the end where I as the viewer was stunned how I could have missed all the clear clues that were right in front of my face. In Sherlock Holmes, they nicely telegraph the scenes where Holmes discovers things, but as a junior detective watching, you can’t always put to pieces together as the clues are a bit obscured. I wanted to end the film feeling like I should have sorted it all out. I wanted my “parlor scene”. Sure I could see aspects of where we were heading and had the major plot points sorted out on my own, but the fine points of how it was all done didn’t leave me with the forehead slap I clearly wanted. Had the film left me with that feeling, it would have been the icing I needed to call it utterly amazing. A small miss, but a miss none the less.
Mark Strong as Lord Blackwell was brilliant in the early parts of the film where he’s depicted as this source of demonic evil. As the film progresses and he looses that veil, I felt his performance faltered a bit. This was especially clear for me at the climactic fight scene between he and Holmes. Good and adequete for the story but not great. I kept wanting him to channel a bit of Daniel Day Lewis from There Will Be Blood in his narrative approach at the end. Sadly, those final moments, though interesting left me feeling like it didn’t bring it home.
The tease of the next villain and the playful fun the writers have with Holmes and his lore are outstanding. Overall, I think this was a brilliantly fun film and it gets a major vote of confidence for the franchise from this viewer. If a sequel were in theaters this week, I wouldn’t wait for the dvd/Blue-Ray release and for me it appears that is saying a lot.
I highly recommend the film as it left me wanting to read more Sherlock Holmes stories and that is a real victory. It reignited the murder mystery fan in me and had me reaching for Airship 27’s new run of classic Sherlock Holmes stories, Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective Vol. 1 almost as soon as I made it in the door. In the end if a film leaves you wanting more, isn’t that all you really need to know?
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective Vol. 1
Grab your copy at the Hanger 27 price here.
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February 1st, 2010 
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Honestly, it’s no wonder I feel like information overload has me some days. If I were to stay up with the CR world completely, I would have to keep an eye on the main CR email, all the wonderful CR forum direct messages, the Facebook requests, any blog comments, those fun direct messages via twitter, the old school MySpace requests, my phone messages, my text messages, the AIM pop ups, and all those meandering ComicSpace bulletins. I give… heh
nottheusualsuspect writes “AT&T, in response to a Notice of Inquiry released by the FCC to explore how to transition to a purely IP-based communications network, has declared that 
