Sherlock Holmes - DVD Review

Comeback king Robert Downey Jr. scores another hit in Guy Ritchie’s modern take on an old classic.

Holmes and Watson (Jude Law) take on ritualistic serial killer Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), who is captured, sent to the gallows, pronounced dead...and then begins killing again. When it becomes clear that his dastardly plan involves introducing extreme parliamentary reform with the help of poison gas, it’s up to the dashing duo to save London.

Downey (part Captain Jack Sparrow, part James Bond, and complete with an impressive English accent) puts an enjoyable spin on the famous character, making the sleuth much more appealing to a younger generation: gone are the deerstalker and opium addiction, replaced by a six-pack and an affinity for bare-knuckle boxing. As you would expect from a Guy Ritchie film, Downey’s Holmes is very much a man of action, and the film is all the more entertaining for it. Law also has fun in his role, playing the long-suffering side-kick and foil to Holmes’ recklessness, and it is the brilliant chemistry and banter between the two leads that gives the film its heart.

The actual detecting leaves a lot to be desired, however; for a film about a detective, there are surprisingly few clues to follow or puzzles to solve, and fans of the traditional Holmes are likely to be disappointed. As usual, Ritchie overdoes the flash, often substituting intelligible plot developments for big, loud action sequences, seemingly determined to power his way from one explosion to the next. Rachel McAdams - as femme fatale Irene Adler - is also woefully underused, given very little to do besides looking good in a corset, and at times the film does come across as a set-up to a sequel (or maybe even a franchise?) rather than a film in its own right.

Overall though, the quick pacing and witty script distract from the holes in logic, and the cast are having so much fun that it’s hard not to join in. With elements of Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean and James Bond, it would seem that Ritchie has a winning formula on his hands: look out for a sequel in early 2012.

(You can watch Sherlock Holmes for only £2.99 using Blinkbox. Just click on the links on the homepage or the article further down)

CMD