A quick mini-review is in order for Robert Downey Jr’s latest role as the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes. The movie is pretty much what I expected based on the previews, highlighting some of Holmes’ physical attributes more than previous renditions of the character. The film is a successful adaptation for today’s more fast paced audience.

That being said, I have to say the movie started a bit slower than expected. The film’s opening 20 minutes seemed to rely a heavily on Robert Downey’s natural charisma to entertain the viewer as opposed to moving the story along. Downey has a knack for giving roles a charm-fully annoying presence. The large ego of Holmes puts him right at home. But charm only goes so far and I found myself wanting the story to move forward sooner than it actually had. This is by no means a dig on Robert Downey Jr, but in the film’s opening they might have called the same pitch too many times.

Once the film gets going though it’s an enjoyable ride through a mystery surrounded by the occult while weaving in narrative about the self-destructive nature of our beloved protagonist. Jude Law gives Watson a bit more kick-assery than has historically been the case, but all-in-all the role itself seemed bland, especially for someone as good as Law.

Despite it being a detective piece at heart, the action sequences makes the film worth seeing in the theater. The director, Guy Ritchie, gives more “explosiveness” than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle may have, but he still tries to tie the action back to the roots of the character. (Holmes was an avid boxer in his novels) You don’t have to rush out to see it tomorrow, but perhaps catch it once it hits the $5 buck club, or you can use those free movie passes on it.

On another note, many don’t realize that we’ve been sort of watching Holmes and Watson for the past few years. Our favorite drug-addicted MD Gregory House is heavily inspired by the Sherlock Holmes character, from the ego all the way down to the addiction. The interaction between Holmes and Watson will in some scenes almost mirror the conversations between House and Wilson. (I even forgot that Watson has a limp from his time in Afghanistan, as does House. Also Holmes/Watson? House/Wilson?) So if you like that dynamic in HOUSE, then you’ll love the interaction with Downey and Law.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 28th, 2009 at 9:00 am and is filed under Movies/Television. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.