Robert Downey Jr. makes all of his films better and he certainly deserves his Golden Globe award. He has great chemistry with co-star Jude Law, and their scenes together are lots of fun.  And although I never thought of Sherlock Holmes as an action hero, the fight scenes are excellent. But a murky plot, mediocre direction, poorly written female characters and miscast actresses keep this film from being really good. It is mildly enjoyable, but I expected better.

After Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Watson (Jude Law) help capture evil occult practitioner Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), Blackwood requests a visit from Holmes. “You and I are bound together on a journey that will twist the very fabric of nature,” Blackwood snarls through prison bars.  Unfortunately, the twists are in short supply here. Blackwood is hanged but then appears to be resurrected. There is talk of the world ending, or maybe just Parliament. Holmes and Watson are briefly jailed, look at corpses and rats and do a lot of running through London’s streets. They are also skilled fighters who liked to comment (“three broken ribs now”) on the injuries they intend to inflict. The credits say the the characters of Sherlock and Watson are based on those characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle, but the blame for the screenplay goes to Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg.  The plot is as murky as the London fog, but the quips between Holmes and Watson are sharp and witty.  

 Downey and Law have great chemistry, and the relationship between Holmes and Watson is the most interesting thing in this film. They establish a fast rhythm in their back and forth dialogue that emphasizes the complexity of their relationship. “Does your depravity know no bounds?” asks Watson.  “No,” Holmes answers.  Downey is especially charming as Sherlock, the bad boy who experiments on the dog, plays the violin in the middle of the night and disrupts Watson’s personal life. One of the film’s strongest scenes has Holmes meeting Watson’s fiancée and being able to deduce intimate details of her life a few minutes after they meet. Law is convincing as the straight man and loyal friend, who gets angry with Holmes but never deserts him. (Fans of the television show House, M.D. will see the influence of the characters of Holmes and Watson on House and will recognize the parallels in the House/ Wilson relationship to the Holmes/ Watson relationship. Both relationships have romantic undertones, although all the men are heterosexual.)  The strong chemistry between the men only serves to highlight the missing sparks in the romantic relationships of Holmes and Watson. Rachel McAdams’ Irene Adler does not seem substantial enough to hold the interest of the crafty Holmes. McAdams is not believable as the crafty femme fatale who once outwitted this great detective. She seems too young and too flighty, and she is unable to hold her own in the flirty scenes with Downey. Watson’s fiancé is dull and the character is underwritten. The connection between Watson and Mary is not sufficiently explained. British actress Kelly Reilly is absolutely colorless in this role, although she does not have much to work with here.  Mark Strong is sufficiently menacing as the evil Lord Blackwood, despite being dressed like an old time vampire. I would have enjoyed more scenes with Blackwood, Holmes and Watson.

 I am not a big fan of fight sequences and the narrated fight scenes take up too much time.  However, British fight choreographer Richard Ryan does exquisite work here, and the jaunty score by Hans Zimmer adds humor. The filmmakers justify these sequences by saying that the books hint at them. You may or may not buy that, but they sure look great.  But even with the two great lead performances and well-staged fights, Guy Ritchie directs this film at a plodding pace. This film feels longer than its 128 minutes.

In the middle of the film, Holmes taunts the inept police by saying that they, “never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”  With great lead performances and great characters, Sherlock Holmes is a missed opportunity. 

Sherlock Holmes.  Directed by Guy Ritchie.  Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes), Jude Law (Dr. John Watson),Rachel McAdams (Irene Adler), Mark Strong (Lord Blackwood) Eddie Marsan (Inspector Lestrade) and Kelly Reilly (Mary Morstan) Warner Bros. Pictures, 2009.

 

Gail sees a movie appears every Wednesday.

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