You've got some nerve showing up for this one with preconceptions about how Guy Ritchie ought to have served up this one.
Sherlock Holmes
U/A; thriller
Dir: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Mark Strong, Rachel McAdams
***1/2
You've got some nerve showing up for this one with preconceptions about how Guy Ritchie ought to have served up this one. If there's one thing the man is good at, it's good ol' entertainment.
Guy's Holmes is played by Robert Downey Jr a man who picked himself up, got sober and has surprised with every role since his career comeback some years ago. The story begins, as it should, in Victorian London.
Imagined in Dickensian hues, the yarn begins with a man-of-action Sherlock (ably assisted by Dr Watson, played by Jude Law) saving a young woman from the hands of the murderous Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), a supposed practitioner of black magic and sending the vile villain to the gallows. End of story? Not quite... and in fact, it's only just begun. 
Blackwood 'rises from the dead' and delivers the hell he promised Holmes before his hanging.
There's the odd distraction with Watson finding a wife in Mary (a gorgeous Kelly Reilly) Morstan and Holmes bumping into his ex, Irene (Rachel McAdams) Adler, a master criminal who's being manipulated by a puppet- master who refuses to reveal himself right till the very end. And if you've been paying careful attention, you'll make out the faint yet distinct notes of a blooming bromance.
One can't do without the other and obviously, some of Holmes' time is spent sabotaging Watson's impending wedding. Am I the only one... doesn't anyone see Dr House in the scheming of Downey's Holmes?
Lionel Wigram and the film's writing team keep the action fluffy and it's never overbearing or difficult to follow. Philippe Rousselot (cinematography), Sarah Greenwood (production design), the art team and Katie Spencer (set decoration) bring a new vision to an oft-seen London of the past.
There's apparently some concern about the master detective's love for inflicting precise and painful punishment on himself and others. Note the boxing scene where he plays out every move in his head and then follows through in execution. The story derives from several popular references from our day and age and adapts it to the times Holmes lived in.
Guy Ritchie chooses RDJ to play Holmes and it's immediately apparent why. What isn't is why Jude Law has so little to do. Also, a Guy staple Mark Strong (an underrated yet powerful actor) makes quite the mark as Blackwood but in the end, there's a complete surrender to the legend of Holmes.
And as the story winds to a close, a fiddling Sherlock seems to be in way too much of a hurry to tieu00a0 the loose ends for you, dear viewer, almost rushing through the explanations.
Of course, you're expected to take a lot of it with several pinches of salt but you won't really come out cribbing. If you've gone to watch this with a parent (they might miss the deerstalker hat) they'll be a bit surprised but definitely feel like they're in a familiar place.
Worth your while? Most definitely. True to the original? If that's going to be your grouse, you aren't going to be a very pleasant companion to tag along to watch this. Don't be all wound up for this one, old chap. Loosen up, let your imagination rip and enjoy the beginning of the year with a very watchable entertainer.
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