Escape to the Movies: Sherlock Holmes

[kathleenb]

Awesome review, looking forward to seeing the movie.

Since you like Holmes so much, may I make a book suggestion? It's a series by Laurie R King and the first book is called The Beekeeper's Apprentice. The books are set later in Holmes' life, during the Great war and the twenties, and features Mary Russell, who is one of my all time favorite characters. Imagine Holmes with a smart aleck American sidekick/wife who's just as smart as he is and won't take any of his crap. She's awesome, and so are the books. The latest, The Language of Bees ends on a ***** of a cliffhanger - so you're warned.

As a side note, I've been reading the Escapist and watching reviews here for a year or so. I only registered so I could pimp a semi-obscure detective/adventure series - this is how much I love these books.

EDIT: Fixed spelling errors - damn netbook keyboard!

 

[Deacon Cole]

House... as Holmes?! Nope, not seeing it.

Well, maybe you ought to look harder, because the House=Holmes/Wilson=Watson similarities were explicitly intended by the show's creators. And they're there. (Yes, House's team helps him solve the mysteries - but most of his "aha" moments come when he's talking to Wilson.) This was an intentional adaptation.

Which would require me making it through an entire episode... which I have yet to actually accomplish.

Well, thank you for your uninformed opinion, then.

 

[Gildedtongue]

Video stops at 3:24

Kinda a shame too.

Same here. Been reloading it and forceloading it and it still is happening.

 

[Trilby]

And what does VR mean? Apart from Virtual Reality?

VR stands for victoria regina, and was the royal cypher of Queen Victoria (the monarch at the time of Holmes). In one of the short stories, I forget which, Holmes is bored, and so decorates the wall opposite him with a "patriotic VR" in bullet holes, despite Watson protesting that pistol practice should be a "strictly outdoors pastime".

 

[Faine']

This vid will not play past 2:15 ever on my PC. wtf!

Same here.

If I skip ahead a bit, it only plays for a few seconds and then freezes up again.

 

[Varewulf]

Bah, the movie freezes at about 2:15 for me, and refreshing won't work... and trying to skip ahead doesn't work, because it plays for maybe 2 seconds before freezing again...

 

[Nouw]

Lol hardly any spoilers.

OT: Good review, watching it tonight.

 

[angryantlion]

Now this made me angry. Intelligence, pacing and subtly replaced by action, violence and slapstick - that my friend is commonly referred to as dumming down. Guy Ritchy had no business murdering classics like this. I have read the books, I am a Sherlock Holmes fan - I am not a 'Sherlockian' and I am open to other interpretations but this is taking the piss.
Why do these people think every story out there needs to be diluted and mashed into a paste that can be spoon-fed to the masses in the form of a block-buster. This is not Sherlock Holmes and if movie bob was a fan he would know that! If you can't make a faithful and respectful version then why bother! there are other stories that will welcome expensive special affects and popular American actors.

So far the greatest and most faithful interpretation was the TV serialisation with Jeremy Brett as Holmes, why? it was subtle and deeply intelligent - the very essence of Sherlock Homles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzdUZ2PpcMY&feature=related

After seeing a trailer for the movie I thought for a long time afterwards that is was a comic version and even then I thought it was bad.

If you like this interpretation you are damaging future films or worse, literature. You are supporting the Bill Murray Character in Scrooged as he likewise defiles A Christmas Carol. I have seen this film, I think it's important to know what I am talking about, Robert Downey Junior's performance is typical of him, I'm not saying he's bad I'm saying he's the completely wrong actor for the part, likewise the Watson Fellow - these are Not Arthur Conan Doyle's Characters. I think everyone who worked on the Movie, or praised it in a review, should be ashamed.

 

[angryantlion]

Movie Bob please read this, I would be interested to hear your response.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/dec/15/sherlock-holmes-film-review

 

[kementari]

Movie Bob please read this, I would be interested to hear your response.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/dec/15/sherlock-holmes-film-review

Ugh, I can't believe the terrible reviews this film is getting. I've been a Sherlockian since I read Hound at age seven, and with the exception of (as Bob says) a Dan-Brown-ish main plot, this film is both incredibly faithful and incredibly imaginative, a near-perfect modern adaptation of Vic lit (which is really hard to sell without making some modernizations).

Some of these reviewers on their high horses ought to consider going back and reading some of the stories. Downey is the true soul of Holmes, and I didn't see him do a single thing I thought was particularly out of character for Holmes. He was chagrined and ashamed of his weakness where Irene Adler was concerned (just like in the books), a talented pugilist and cane-fighter and not afraid to resort to violence if the situation required it (just like in the books), and a classic Victorian gentleman with little use for Victorian niceties but a gentleman all the same (also just like in the books).

Or maybe it's just fun and profitable to be a reviewer who trashes Downey, Law, and Ritchie.

 

[electric discordian]

Now this made me angry. Intelligence, pacing and subtly replaced by action, violence and slapstick - that my friend is commonly referred to as dumming down. Guy Ritchy had no business murdering classics like this. I have read the books, I am a Sherlock Holmes fan - I am not a 'Sherlockian' and I am open to other interpretations but this is taking the piss.
Why do these people think every story out there needs to be diluted and mashed into a paste that can be spoon-fed to the masses in the form of a block-buster. This is not Sherlock Holmes and if movie bob was a fan he would know that! If you can't make a faithful and respectful version then why bother! there are other stories that will welcome expensive special affects and popular American actors.

So far the greatest and most faithful interpretation was the TV serialisation with Jeremy Brett as Holmes, why? it was subtle and deeply intelligent - the very essence of Sherlock Homles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzdUZ2PpcMY&feature=related

After seeing a trailer for the movie I thought for a long time afterwards that is was a comic version and even then I thought it was bad.

If you like this interpretation you are damaging future films or worse, literature. You are supporting the Bill Murray Character in Scrooged as he likewise defiles A Christmas Carol. I have seen this film, I think it's important to know what I am talking about, Robert Downey Junior's performance is typical of him, I'm not saying he's bad I'm saying he's the completely wrong actor for the part, likewise the Watson Fellow - these are Not Arthur Conan Doyle's Characters. I think everyone who worked on the Movie, or praised it in a review, should be ashamed.

Wow that's some serious bile right there! I have been reading Conan Doyle since I was about 12, Holmes has been my friend throughout my life. Now having said that I found this film very very entertaining! Holmes like all other literary characters changes according to the time in which the stories are adapted. Basil Rathbone's Holmes was a wartime propaganda machine, Brett was a introverted substance abuser who perfectly fitted with the Eighties ethos. This period in time unfortunately means we get a Holmes we deserve and we have.

He is a mannered eccentric character, the "action" seems not to be bolted on but is perfectly in keeping with the character. Holmes is a martial artist master of baritsu, just from memory he bends a fire poker with his bare hands in the sign of Four. Will need to fact check that!

He has lost none of his detective abilities he even uses his skills in combat, not to spoil the film of course. The plot seems strong with the regular Doyle style McGuffin's well in place!

The love interest was slightly annoying as Holmes to my knowledge loved one person himself, however she is more than a mere annoyance, she has a role to play in the proceedings.

I will not go further into the plot for fear of spoiling it! But I should go and see it if I were you. Its easy to dismiss it but it really is great!

In closing the only thing I would actually change is Downey junior uses some of Charlie Chaplin's mannerisms in his role which is a tad distracting.

10/10!

 

[Diddy_King]

video is still stopping at 2:53, kind of a pain

 

[Mikaze]

I actually saw this today, not half bad although the connection with the actual Sherlock Holmes ends with character names and occupations.

 

[copycatalyst]

After seing the movie, I think I agree 100% with this review. It's fun to watch, and the characters and lead performances are great, but the story... ugh.

 

[zauxz]

Video stops at 3:24

Kinda a shame too.

same problem.

 

[kawaiiamethist]

Viewers made the House-is-Holmes connection when it first appeared on TV, this isn't anything new.

And I just saw the film - bloody brilliant! It was witty, stylish and terribly amusing.

 

[kawaiiamethist]

I'm still on the fense about Downey Jr. playing Holmes. All the actors in Britan and they got an American to play him?

Yes but Robert Downey Jnr is amazing with his accents.

See: Tropic Thunder, where he is an american portraying a negro portraying an Aussie. His Australian accent was very good.

A little backwards there. He plays an Aussie (probably a Russel Crowe rip) portaying an African American.

 

[Flying-Emu]

My computer stopped the video as soon as he said Boba Fett was unimportant.

 

[Batfred]

talk about dedecation, for me it stopped at 4:46

Mmm, Seems I;m not the only one then. 2:24 for me and then every 7 seconds after I managed to refresh from 2:25 for example.

Hey mods, seems too much of a co-incidence that quite a few of us are having trouble with this one video on the whole site. Any chance of fixing it as I really want to know what MovieBob thinks?... Dare I say it, but I actually value his opinion.