Sherlock Holmes (2009)

[mcity]

"It does make a considerable difference to me having someone with me on whom I can thoroughly rely."

Poor Watson.

As Holmes stalwart ally, he's been reduced, over the years, from a lady-killing man of action to a chubby little mustachioed buffoon who goes "By Jove, Holmes!" and generally gives the impression of not being able to find his bowler hat with both hands.


Click through to "Hark! a Vagrant!"

Not if Guy Ritchie has anything to say about it.


The movie has received mixed reviews, mostly because of the public being used to the aforementioned Flanderization. Watson is now competent again, and provides a good foil for his friend, who is informed more by Gregory House than traditional portrayals of Holmes. In fact, the slicked-hair, fashion-plate is the villain of the piece, Blackwood. More on that later.

It's obvious Ritchie has done his homework; there's a rather large amount of continuity nods. Everything from Adler's crossdressing(!, by the way) to scratches on a watch has a counterpart in the books. And yet it never veers into outright fanservice or obstructs the story or characters.

Take, for example, Holmes/Watson. I don't go in for that sort of thing--

You're a heterosexual male, which still leaves het and femslash.

Moving on. Ritchie has Law and Downey play Watson and Holmes as Vitriolic Best Buds, and their odd couple dynamic works surprisingly well. Watson is just leaving his Baker St. lodgings for married life with Mary Marston, and Holmes pulls out every buddy-comedy trick in the book to stop his friend.

Of course, if you put your slash-goggles on, it looks a lot more like Holmes is trying to keep his ex-boyfriend from hooking up with anyone else. Take them off, and he doesn't want his friends to leave. Some fanficcer had had some interesting thoughts by way of OT3, but I would like to know why Ms. Adler remains so neglected.

Purely scientifically, you understand.

Downey has stated that his Holmes is based on House, which means he's an Californian, playing an Englishman, loosely based on an New Jerseyite played by an Englishman, based on the Englishman the first dude is playing, alongside a Canadian woman playing a New Jerseyite. (Sadly, Jude Law is actually from London.) Ironically, Downey's performance is closer to the Holmes of the books than Sherlock is usually portrayed, much like Law's Watson is Holmes' partner, not his sidekick. It makes for a refreshing change, and the comedy dynamic works well.

Oh, and the CG shots of Victorian London are beautiful. There seems to be a bit of an affinity for using a Bourne-style shakycam for fight scenes, (Another big-budget movie with well-choreographed action no one can actually see! Yay!) though it lets up some later in the movie.

Bottom line: This is a fun romp through Holmes' Victorian London, with strong performances, a well-realized world, and plenty of fanservice for devotees of the books. And not a deerstalker hat in sight.