Sherlock Holmes

Welcome to the final episode of The "D" List in 2009.

Today's review is Sherlock Holmes. Directed by Guy Ritchie. Written by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham & Simon Kinberg. Based on the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

As the summer season continues it's stranglehold on the blockbuster film market. The holiday season usually reserves itself for showcasing the movies that earn statues instead of $$$. A trend that's becoming more and more evident is the slipping in of a studio blockbuster film. It's actually a pretty clever move. Very akin to Tsun Tzu's The Art of War. Let the impetuous warriors slug it out while the wise warrior sits back and waits for the right moment to join the fight.

What all of this rambling means is that while all of the major studios battled each other for our hard earned summer dollars, others will sit and wait until the carnage is over and swoop in and grab all of the attention with no major competition around to challenge them. 2 films this year have done just that. The 1st being Avatar of course and the 2nd is Sherlock Holmes. This film could have easily been a summer tentpole film for Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow but they decided to back it up to Christmas and it was a brilliant move. You might say it was "elementary." Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

The story takes place in 17th century England and right from the start you are introduced to Sherlock Holmes played by the terrific Robert Downey Jr. as he races against the clock to prevent a crime. I won't say what crime he stops because it's linked to the overall plot. What makes this opening scene so impressive is the pacing, the action and the intelligence. What that means is simply this. You get a 1st hand look at how Sherlock deduces a situation. Now might think that's not so impressive. He's Sherlock Holmes, you're supposed to see how he figures stuff out but in this case you see him hypothesize the best method of success before he attempts it then you see him do it exactly as he pictured it. Think of it like a reverse flashback. It was a very clever way to show how his mind worked. The rest of the film takes us on a ride of mystery and magic as Sherlock along with his faithful partner Dr. Watson played by Jude Law investigate the possibility of the supernatural while uncovering a plot hatched by a special religious order that has several members in high places.

Here's where Sherlock Holmes triumphs. This is not your father's Sherlock Holmes. Doyle's classic character has had many interpretations on both the big and small screen and for the most part he had the look and demeanor of a snotty professor who spoke perfect english and never got his hands dirty in a manner of speaking. This version of Holmes is more like how Doyle created him. A bare knuckle brawling martial artist who drinks, is a loose cannon and a wise ass I might add which was a very nice touch. Sherlock knows he's smarter than you and he's no afraid to tell you but he does it in a way that you know you're being insulted yet you thank him anyway because it felt complimentary.

I promise you, you will never look at Sherlock Holmes the same way after seeing this film and in my opinion that's a good thing because Robert Downey Jr has brought us the real Sherlock Holmes. Very quickly Downey Jr. has acquired a very nice entourage of popular characters, with Iron Man and now Sherlock. Once again he's proven that he can handle both characters and make them his own. So much so that it would be impossible to see anyone else in the role.

Of course the movie is not just all about our friend Sherlock. He is surrounded by an amazing supporting cast starting with Law as Dr. Watson. This is another re-imagination of the classic character. Watson is not the stuffy doctor that just stands by Sherlock side and validates his superior intellect. In fact Watson can be seen here almost as Sherlock's equal. He's a fighter as well and has a very strong mind. What sets the two apart are their conflicting personalities. Sherlock is care free while Watson is calculating. They are basically a yin yang and it's that dynamic that makes the characters so much fun to see on screen. You can see the chemistry between the two and you instantly believe that they have been partners for years. Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler and Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood round out the rest of the crew that make this movie go round.

During production, the film was gaining a lot of chatter both negative and positive. Some of the pros were the cast and the designs but a major con was the director Guy Ritchie. Many felt that he wasn't the right guy to make this movie especially after his recent "flops." I am here to tell you all that the nay-sayers were DEAD WRONG!!! Guy Ritchie was the perfect choice for the simple fact that this kind of storytelling is right up his alley. If you've seen Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch or Rock 'n Rolla then you know what I mean.

Sherlock Holmes plays in a similar fashion with just a touch of extra exposition to keep the audience's attention. All of Ritchie's fingerprints are on this movie. The quick transition editing, the super slo-mo and most importantly the construction of the narrative. By all accounts, Sherlock Holmes is a mystery and the movie plays like one. The only difference is that our title character is so brilliant that he knows what's going before we do so the film has to slow him down so we can catch up. I know that sounds like a negative but trust me it's not. If I had to quibble about something I would have to say the run time. At 2 hrs and 15 min, the final cut could have used a trim here or there to quicken the journey. Aside from that I say Bravo.

On the 5 star scale. Sherlock Holmes gets 4.5 stars with a "Worth Every Penny" recommendation.

This was a fun movie with heart, action, twists and most importantly......a brain.

Well kiddies that all for me in 2009. I had a great year at the movies and I hope you all had a greta time reading these reviews. I'm looking forward to a better year in 2010 with some big changes to The "D" List so stay tuned.

I'm not exactly sure what's on tap for me next. I know that very soon I will begin my "D" List top 10 Best and Worst films of the year so keep an eye out for that. After seeing 42 films this year, it's not going to be easy picking out 10 but I have faith in myself.

I wish each and every one of you a Happy and Healthy New Year and I'll see you at the movies.

Until Next Episode......"I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"