Sherlock Holmes At Your Service

In the world of modern science and technology, we sometimes forget how much intuition and extreme attention to detail was important in determining a murder or a thief before the newest advances in science. In the world of Sherlock Holmes, that attention to detail and intuition is what keeps him alive and gives him the title of most loved fictional detective.

In the movie Sherlock Holmes, Robert Downey, Jr. plays the title character with Jude Law playing his trusty sidekick and occasional brunt of jokes, Dr. John Watson. The movie opens with Holmes and Watson catching a formidable opponent in the act of sacrificing a woman for a ritual – something this man has done 5 times before. The man is Lord Blackwood and the arrest is a highlight for Holmes as Lord Blackwood is to be put to death. Blackwood is hanged for his crimes and everyone sees him die – or so they thought. Later on, he is “seen” leaving his grave and around the town. Holmes is now curious so with his trusty sidekick, Watson and the arrival of Irene Idler (played by Rachel McAdams), they begin the case of trying to figure out if Blackwood is really alive or if people are just seeing ghosts.

One word describes this movie – fascinating. You can’t look away for a second otherwise you miss something that is pertinent to the case at hand. Downey and Law are an incredible match and have such great chemistry you think they have been acting together for years. The script between them is so flawless they don’t even act as if they are reading off a script – their sentences bounce off each other like balls in a pinball machine. Downey’s arrogance in real life shines through in this roll. Sherlock Holmes is an arrogant, know-it-all, smart as a tack man and Downey plays that just as he “plays” himself – sometimes if it weren’t for the accent, I couldn’t tell he was playing a character. This is a good thing as much as it might seem like a dig toward Downey.

I love a classic whodunit game of cat and mouse, and this movie did not disappoint. The old-fashioned crime mysteries without any spectacular new forensic science equipment is always fun – you have to use your 5 senses to find the right answer to the riddle otherwise you are in the dark. As the viewer, you have to pay attention to detail just as much as Holmes and Watson does otherwise you are missing something key. I can’t wait to see what Holmes and Watson have up their sleeve in the next installment when they face off against Professor Moriarty. Should be very interesting indeed.

My grade: A