Robert Downey, Jr, Does it Again with Sherlock Holmes

One of the oldest and most staid of literary heroes is Sherlock Holmes. Over the years the creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has become a bit stuffy. However, an analysis of Doyle's work shows that Holmes was a man much deeper and more interesting than he is often portrayed. Doyle mostly hinted at the past of Holmes and his actions, but he also mentioned that he knew how to fight hand-to-hand and that he was good with a sword. With that, Guy Ritchie, the director of crime dramas such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, has redefined the super sleuth as an action hero with Sherlock Holmes, now available on OnDemand and on DVD.

This is not a Sherlock Holmes that is going to show up at a house in a deerstalker cap and smoke thoughtfully on his large curved pipe and make deductions. This is a Sherlock Holmes that uses his deductive powers to determine an opponents weakness so he can beat the snot out of a much larger opponent in a bare-chested boxing match. He is not afraid to run through the streets of London, carry and fire a revolver, and battle a villain to the death atop an unfinished bridge across the Thames.

Yes, there is a villain this time around. It is not the character that many have come to associate with Holmes, Professor Moriarty. Well, to be sure, Moriarty does get hinted at and even mentioned by name, but he is not the primary villain. No, this villain is a man named Lord Blackwood who has managed to convince many people in pre-turn-of-the-century London that he had magical powers. He intends to do much harm to Parliament and to, essentially, take over Great Britain.

However, in this movie, the villain and his goals is merely an excuse for Robert Downey, Jr. to turn in a fantastic performance as the titular main character. This is another movie that, like Iron Man, is entirely his movie. He turns Holmes into his own thing and he makes a rather remarkable and modern, and exciting, Sherlock Holmes. He is a man of action, in addition to intellect, and he is also a man struggling with his affections for his friend and companion, Dr. Watson. Jude Law turns in the second best performance as the good doctor.

The relationship between the two men is explored a bit and given an interesting twist for the modern era. While it is not explicitly stated that the two men have anything more than a friendship it is surely implied. Watson is getting married and this entire story takes place at a point where the too men seem to be about to go their separate ways. Holmes is hurt by this and seems to be doing all he can to sabotage Watson's marriage.
Ritchie does an amazing job of recreating 18th century London. There are plenty of scenes that are obviously done with CGI, at the same time, they don't look like special effects. There must have been many scenes done in front of green screens here, but the look is seamless. In short, although Ritchie has fallen short a few times since his earlier films, this time he hits the ball out of the park. The end of the movie is an obvious set-up for a sequel, but it's a sequel that I, for one, want to see.