Movie Review - Sherlock Holmes

Rating: 8/10

The movie is okay; the soundtrack and the graphics are great. But, dear friends, I wasn't watching the Holmes of the books; I was watching the comedic Holmes (but it really is funny and I can't get the lines off of my head). It is a good one, if you love comedy and action, but if you're looking for the original Holmes, you might not like it.

I liked the film but it feels like something is still missing (perhaps we'll see the missing part in the second installment). The movie's plot is very far from those of the books. First of all, Mary Morstan's father is dead. She was an orphan, if my memory serves me right. Also, Mary was a previous client of Holmes. It is very much impossible that Holmes could not remember her (Mary referred to herself as a "complete stranger"). In fact, it was in The Sign of Four where Watson first met his future wife. Mary Morstan is also not previously engaged. (If you observe, the fallacies are mostly with the character of Mary.)

(While reading the books, I always imagined that Mrs. Hudson was a fat, old lady. In the movie, she was thin, tall, and stately.)

I am looking forward to the sequel, though. It sounds more interesting (I just don't like the idea of Brad Pitt playing the great Professor Moriarty).

So much for negativity. I will now point out what I liked about it.

Frankly, I am surprised at how Robert Downey, Jr. acted out the part. I could not envision him playing Holmes when I first heard that he was playing the lead character. He did a magnificent job with the role. One should also not forget to praise Jude Law's portrayal. He was also fantastic with Dr. John Watson. The bull pup, little Gladstone, is a very cute companion. I absolutely LOVE him. Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood makes a creepy antagonist. I can't help but fear his fabulous hair (not to mention the teeth). Guy Ritchie also did a good job with showing how a detective's job is so full of action and danger.

Even with the mixed reviews, I do hope that fans of the movie would turn to the books. It would be much better. The books are suffering so much stagnation.