Just came back after watching Sherlock Holmes so here is my quick and short review.
Before you go to watch this movie, forget about every Sherlock Holmes novel that you have read. Don’t know about you, but for me the novels take a relatively slow pace and project Sherlock Homes as an almost orthodox, pipe smoking and sharp minded English gentleman. The movie is everything BUT that.
Welcome to Sherlock Holmes the movie – a film capable on it’s own to come across as a slick, well made exceptionally good, action packed thriller. Add to that the magic of the logically heightened, unprecedentedly calculative brain of a brilliant detective and his amazing deductions of otherwise unexplainable events around him, and what you get is a blockbuster entertainer.
The movie is about Sherlock Holmes and Watson(duh!) who are trying to help London get rid of an evil minded Lord Blackwood who is trying to bring glory to his cult(and eventually his country England) by instilling fear in people’s mind by projecting his supernatural powers, which in reality is just an evil use of scientific methods. He thus starts committing murders to portray that his quest is religiously/cult rule wise, justified. Set in the black and white era(the Sherlock Holmes era) . . . the movie simply put, is a visual treat – one that leaves you breathless given the nail biting action and the awesome awesome performances by the two lead characters.
We all know that Robert Downey Jr and Jude law, both are terrific actors but to see them together in such involved, high adrenaline roles and the chemistry of how they together make such an enviable team, is simply remarkable.
The movie is directed by Guy Ritchie(yes yes Madonna’s ex husband). His movies typically have a very British touch and I am sure this was an important factor in him being chosen as the director of this movie. It needed a real, true English touch to it and the movie has that throughout.
Over the duration of the movie, there are some really amazing scenes that are set in such brilliant settings that you are sure to get spellbound by the cinematography & the overall execution. For example there is a scene where a giant French baddie is trying to kill Sherlock Holmes at a ship manufacturing yard. A fight ensues and the resultant destruction of the shipyard is hilarious, well shot and nail biting all at the same time.
That I think sums up the way the movie has been made.(a) Very well shot – genuine and excellent cinematography and art direction(b) Amazing performances(Watson & Holmes)(c) Thrilling and overall entertaining plot that unfolds gradually and maintains the suspense.
There were some obvious formulas like – how the villain never directly kills the duo but always sets traps for them which they manage to survive, OR how the murder locations are spread across London in a way that it forms a triangle or star(Reminiscent of The Da-Vinci code) OR that Mr Sherlock Holmes at times comes across as a real smarty pants – know it all(although really charming overall).
Leave these aside and you would love the movie from beginning till the end
Enjoy watching!
P.S.: Watch out for the excellent climax shot over a half made London bridge. Amazing special effects.