SHERLOCK HOLMES (USA/UK/Australia 2009) ***
Directed by Guy Ritchie

Brit director Guy Ritchie (LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS, ROCKNROLLA) enters big time filmmaking with a $80-million budgeted blockbuster version of SHERLOCK HOLMES, based on Sir Conan Doyle’s characters but based on a Lionel Wigram story.

The plot concerns the world-renowned sleuth Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) working with his trusty friend Dr. Watson (Jude Law) solving a conspiracy to destroy Britain.  The villain of the piece is not Professor Moriarty this time around but Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), an evil, vicious cult leader who appears to be able to work black magic.  When the film opens, Blackwood is hung but re-appears to continue his reign of terror.

The Holmes seen in Ritchie’s film is quite different from the one displayed in previous Holmes films like WITHOUT A CLUE, THE SEVEN PERCENT SOLUTION, or even THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.  This is a fighting, disturbed, brutal man – the kind of character often seen in Ritchie’s gangster flicks.  So Holmes aficionados may not to be too pleased.

But the Holmes in the Sir Conan Doyle books is a varied and interesting person.  In one of Doyle’s books, Holmes bare knuckle boxes – so Ritchie or the script cannot be blamed for taking too many liberties.  The London depicted in the film is still a foggy, dark and scary one – with many scenes taking place in the black of night.  The big budget is effectively used in both the creation of the film’s mood and atmosphere and the special effects of the action scenes.  One wishes that the film plays more to the detective’s deductive rather than his fighting skills.

Other main differences in Ritchie’s Holmes include more brawn displayed in the film than instead of brains; more enmity instead of comraderie between Dr. Watson and the good dick; Moriarty rearing his ugly head only at the end and an American playing a Victorian.

Downey Jr. adopts a slight British accent for his role though he seems a bit out of place with the thicker ones of Law and the other actors.  Strong plays a good villain though he looks too much at times like comedian Steve Carell. 

The specialty trait of Ritchie’s camerawork is evident from the film’s first frame to the end, especially in the action scenes.  Ritchie is fond of capturing one small detail – be it a grimace on a face – and pulls the camera back at break neck speeds to often jolt the audience out of their seats.  His action segments are particularly arresting even though the continuity may be questionable.  Ritchie moves his film fast and furious leaving too many unexplained plot points to the end where he reveals all in slow motion.  At this time, most of puzzles are forgotten and even if not, are taken for granted as satisfactory resolve.

Ritchie’s Holmes is the most action packed of all previous adaptations but it may also be the most forgettable.  SHERLOCK HOLMES opens on Christmas Day one week after its main competition, James Cameron’s AVATAR.  When asked what he thought of AVATAR after its screening, Ritchie proudly boasts that he had nothing to worry about.  He should definitely think twice.