Sherlock Holmes

Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” is a mixture of mystery, adventure, action, and humor. Although there are many film adaptations of the stories of “Sherlock Holmes,” Ritchie makes his movie original and entertaining. It opens with Robert Downey, Jr. as Holmes, and Jude Law as his friend and partner, Dr. Watson, as they are attempting to stop Lord Blackwood, played by Mark Strong, from performing his dark magic. The movie follows Holmes and Watson as they attempt to solve mysteries surrounding black magic and Blackwood; all while the two of them have fast-paced quarrels about the business they are in.

The colors in the movie were all relatively bleak and it was shot using many earthy-tones, which made certain things stand out more, such as the entrance of Irene Adler, played by Rachel McAdams, who was first seen in a deep red dress as she stood out in a crowd full of dingy looking men. The coloring of the movie added a lot to the feeling of the film and it helped transport the audience to a grimy England. Downey Jr. and Law made a great team as Holmes and Watson. The two played off each other well, and the one-liners they threw back and forth at one another gave the movie a sense of humor that it otherwise would have lacked. The trio was completed with McAdams, who portrayed the femme fatale character marvelously, and the three of them wittingly solved the final mystery in the film.

Even though the film is first and foremost an action/adventure movie, some of the greater scenes in the movie were the ones that had a bit of humor in them. The action scenes in the film were very well thought out and filmed. Before seeing Holmes physically fight someone, we first see him think through the attack and listen to his logic of what is going to happen and how he is going to retaliate. Throughout the movie, Holmes is using his logic, his reasoning, and his keen sense of smell to put clues together and solve problems. The movie fills in a lot of the blanks as it goes along, with flashbacks to earlier clues so that the audience is able to follow Holmes’s logic as well.

While many other reviews have said the plot, directing, and effects were subpar, I believe that they were all enjoyable and unique. The plot was entertaining, and easy enough to follow while still keeping the audience intrigued and on their feet. The explosions and action scenes were tasteful, there weren’t as many loud noises and bangs as one would have expected throughout an action movie, but instead, the explosions left you feeling worried and concerned for the characters. The movie was what it led on to be—a good source of entertainment for the audience.

Although the movie was just over two hours (it’s 128 minutes), it felt like the perfect length. The plot moved along quickly, but nothing seemed rushed. And the ending was perfect to set up Ritchie to direct a sequel, which many people will be looking forward to.