Sherlock Holmes

Christmas Day was a time of joy for the nation this past Friday as presents were unwrapped, families came together, and many celebrated the meaning of Christmas which is the birth of Jesus Christ. Another thing that many families partook in was venturing to the nearest movie theater to watch the several new films that were released. There were mostly R rated films like the romantic comedy "It's Complicated", the musical "Nine", and George Clooney's new film, "Up In the Air." However, there was one film that was released that a larger variety of people could enjoy and it was Guy Ritchie's new film, "Sherlock Holmes."
In both literature and past films, the story of Sherlock Holmes has been told and retold several times. Robert Downey Jr. isn't the first to entertain us with the stories of Sherlock, Watson, and the evil Professor Moriarty(although he is baeley shown in this film since he was only used as a setup for the sequel) but in this new adaption of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional series, Downey shows us a new kind of Holmes that will surly be remembered in the years to come.
The evil and seemingly magical Lord Blackwood(Marc Strong) is about to murder yet another innocent girl but is barely apprehended by the police with the help of detective Sherlock Holmes(Downey) and Dr. Watson(Jude Law). Right before Blackwood's hanging, he warns Holmes that something is coming that Holmes will have no control over and that he will rise from the dead and be more powerful than ever. So Blackwood dies, Sherlock is without a case for some time, Watson is preparing to marry, but then something horrible happens. A murder takes place and Holmes discovers that Blackwood has indeed returned from the dead. Now Holmes must ignore all things logical and real to unravel the mystery behind this evil magician.
Now right from the start of the film we realize that this portrayal of Holmes is much different than past versions. We realize that when we see Holmes take down half the criminals in Blackwood's lair. Yes this version of Holmes is stronger, more violent, and frankly more enjoyable than past portrayals. Of course he still has the intelligence we've always known but now he uses that brain of his to calculate what will happen in his next fight and then will do just what he planned faster than the victim can say, "I surrender." Watson is the man who is always there for Holmes and also has a fist of fury which can take care of business even quicker than Holmes. Also in past versions we would never see Sherlock get involved in a complicated romance with mysterious women such as Irene Adler(Rachel McAdams).
Things that are enjoyable about "Holmes" include the cinematography which beautifully shows us the city of London up close and afar. The city shots looks wonderful and many times they are shots of the city at night which does a good job of adding to the dark, more intense feeling of the film. The film's action and mystery of "Holmes" kept me on the edge of my seat for the whole two hours. There are several action sequences in the film that I just went gaga for. The best example is when we would see Holmes think out the fight in his head(while played in slow motion) then do exactly what he thought(in normal motion). That effect gave me chills. Of course aside from action "Holmes" also had a great deal of comedy. Not many scenes went by without the theater laughing at a characters actions, jokes, or sarcasm.
One of the most enjoyable things about "Sherlock Holmes" is the fantastic performance by Robert Downey Jr. In the past two years we've seen how great an actor Downey is in "Iron Man", "Tropic Thunder", and "The Soloist" and his skill shines bright in "Holmes." He plays the role perfectly. The way he acts is great, his facial expressions are both great and humorous, and he delivers his line perfectly. After seeing his performance, I am not surprised that he received a Golden Globe nomination for this film. Downey wasn't the only one with a strong performance. In fact every actor did great in this film.
"Sherlock Holmes" is a fantastic film that has retold the classic story in a more than average way. The action, story, and acting worked together to create a film that was a wonderful Christmas present and end to my day. 3 stars out of 4.
"Sherlock Holmes" has a running time of 134 minutes and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material.