Directed by:
Guy RitchieCinematography:
Philippe RousselotComposer:
Hans ZimmerCast:
Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan, Kelly Reilly, James Fox, Hans Matheson, Geraldine James, Robert Maillet, William Hope (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, “Sherlock Holmes” sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country. The action-adventure mystery “Sherlock Holmes” is helmed by acclaimed filmmaker Guy Ritchie, for Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. Robert Downey Jr. brings the legendary detective to life, and Jude Law stars as Holmes’ trusted colleague, Watson, a doctor and war veteran who is a formidable ally for Sherlock Holmes. Rachel McAdams stars as Irene Adler, the only woman ever to have bested Holmes and who has maintained a tempestuous relationship with the detective. Mark Strong stars as their mysterious new adversary, Blackwood. Kelly Reilly plays Watson’s love interest, Mary. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Videos (23)
Reviews (18)
A typical modern high-budget blockbuster with sophisticated visuals and a star-studded cast that will probably shock the traditional fans of the British detective, who honor the classic idea of a detective as it was served to them by Arthur Conan Doyle back in the day. Sherlock Holmes by Guy Ritchie has sidelined, as expected, logical deductions in favor of dynamic action. His Sherlock Holmes is an action hero who successfully battles in the ring and uses his fists or various arsenal of weapons more often than deep thoughts. His companion Watson has emancipated and is an equal player who, moreover, thanks to his sober approach, often saves his colleague's neck. The film is shot with a touch of irony and filled with constant bantering between both detectives and their surroundings. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law live up to their reputations as actors and deliver outstanding performances, Rachel McAdams is charming, but her femme fatale doesn't have as much space to become a female counterpart to the central duo. The decent budget allowed for indulging in the magnificent period image of London, especially the view of the London shipyards (shot in Kent) offers an amazing glimpse into the industrial era, and the director somewhat megalomaniacally allows us to send an almost finished ship to the bottom after an exciting duel. Personally, I am not a big fan of snobbish British detectives, and this modern playful adaptation struck me as extremely entertaining. Overall impression: 80%.
()
Haha! At last a Holmes to be proud of. He may still be a bit mainstream, but he’s darn nice. It’s funny to see that this rather madcap version, overflowing with snappy-lines is the most faithful to Doyle that I have ever seen. Downey rocks again, but he’s not alone. I’m not very keen on Jude Law, but his Watson is an equal to Holmes, and likewise Mark Strong is a respectable adversary (although underexploited). The story steeped in mystery is interesting enough to keep the viewer’s attention, but it’s clear that this is mostly about fights and snappy lines which are both first-class. And it gets even better when Zimmer’s catchy melodies play during the action sequences. If Holmes hadn’t run out of breath sometime in the middle, I would have given it five, but as it is it scores just a grubby 4. In the merry month of May, From my home I started, Left the girls of Tuam, Nearly broken hearted, Saluted father dear, Kissed my darlin' mother, Drank a pint of beer, My grief and tears to smother, Then off to reap the corn, And leave where I was born, I cut a stout blackthorn, To banish ghost and goblin, In a brand new pair of brogues, I rattled o'er the bogs, And frightened all the dogs, On the rocky road to Dublin. One, two, three, four five, Hunt the hare and turn her Down the rocky road And all the ways to Dublin, Whack-fol-lol-de-ra. In Mullingar that night, I rested limbs so weary, Started by daylight, Next mornin' light and airy, Took a drop of the pure, To keep my heart from sinkin', That's an Irishman's cure, Whenever he's on for drinking. To see the lasses smile, Laughing all the while, At my curious style, 'Twould set your heart a-bubblin'. They ax'd if I was hired, The wages I required, Till I was almost tired, Of the rocky road to Dublin. One, two, three, four five, Hunt the hare and turn her Down the rocky road And all the ways to Dublin, Whack-fol-lol-de-ra. In Dublin next arrived, I thought it such a pity, To be so soon deprived, A view of that fine city. Then I took a stroll, All among the quality, My bundle it was stole, In a neat locality; Something crossed my mind, Then I looked behind; No bundle could I find, Upon my stick a wobblin'. Enquirin' for the rogue, They said my Connacht brogue, Wasn't much in vogue, On the rocky road to Dublin. One, two, three, four five, Hunt the hare and turn her Down the rocky road And all the ways to Dublin, Whack-fol-lol-de-ra. From there I got away, My spirits never failin' Landed on the quay As the ship was sailin'; Captain at me roared, Said that no room had he, When I jumped aboard, A cabin found for Paddy, Down among the pigs I played some funny rigs, Danced some hearty jigs, The water round me bubblin', When off Holyhead, I wished myself was dead, Or better far instead, On the rocky road to Dublin. One, two, three, four five, Hunt the hare and turn her Down the rocky road And all the ways to Dublin, Whack-fol-lol-de-ra. The boys of Liverpool, When we safely landed, Called myself a fool; I could no longer stand it; Blood began to boil, Temper I was losin', Poor ould Erin's isle They began abusin', "Hurrah my soul," sez I, My shillelagh I let fly; Some Galway boys were by, Saw I was a hobble in, Then with a loud hurray, They joined in the affray. We quickly cleared the way, For the rocky road to Dublin. One, two, three, four five, Hunt the hare and turn her Down the rocky road And all the ways to Dublin, Whack-fol-lol-de-ra.
()
(less)
(more)
It just didn’t do it for me. Average, at best—a painfully middle-of-the-road affair that not even the director, the cast, or Hans Zimmer’s score could salvage. Not even the final showdown on the unfinished Tower Bridge managed to leave a mark. The movie had potential, sure, but it fell flat on its face. Sherlock Holmes is supposed to be the reserved, razor-sharp detective we all know—someone unraveling intricate, clever mysteries—not this hyperactive, overly aggressive action hero. It’s clear they wanted to give the character a bold, world-shaking revamp, but instead, they ended up with a mediocre mess. And you can feel it throughout. The gloomy, gray-toned version of London they painted might have worked if it had leaned into a truly eerie, atmospheric vibe, but nope. Instead, it’s just dull, lifeless, and uninspired. Holmes as an action star, Watson drifting away because of a love interest, all set against a washed-out London backdrop that feels as dreary and monotonous as a gray winter’s day.
()
A perfect cast, but it doesn’t help much. Strong spends too much time in the background, Law can’t keep up with Downey in any of their scenes (while in this movie they are meant to be on level pegging!), Rachel McAdams is uninspiring, the movie lacks any real case, deduction is not employed, but abused like deus ex machina and so Hans Zimmer steals all the attention. And it’s not that Richie is bored; he is having fun, and it works well in some places, but he fell a long way short of managing to reproduce the type of goofy shenanigans like we saw in Pirates of the Caribbean. But it’s clear that’s what he was aiming for. If you want to make an untraditional Holmes movie, you need either a good idea or you need a good Sherlock to base one’s performance on, which Downey does in any case. ♫ OST score: 4/5
()
The Victorian magic works like never before. The master of deduction comes in full force and his creators have flown into the performance in the most pleasant way possible. Action-packed, grandiose, and clever. Holmes can certainly throw punches, but more importantly, he can perfectly engage the mind. Despite a complicated plot, everything falls into place, the viewer can barely keep up with the lightning-fast explanations, and Sherlock (along with Guy Ritchie) can leave triumphantly, having surpassed his own reputation. This is simply the right kind of Adventure with a capital A. And I will want to be the first in line for the next installment.
()
