Sherlock Holmes (1 & 2)
SHERLOCK HOLMES (12)
D: Guy Ritchie
Warner Bros./Village Roadshow (Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram,
Dan Lin & Susan Downey)
UK/US 2009
128 mins
Mystery/Action/Comedy
W: Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham & Simon
Kinberg [based on characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle]
DP: Philippe Rouselott
Ed: James Herbert
Mus: Hans Zimmer
Robert Downey, Jr. (Sherlock
Holmes), Jude Law (Dr. John Watson), Rachel McAdams (Irene Adler), Mark Strong (Lord Henry Blackwood), Eddie Marsan (Lestrade), Kelly Reilly (Mary Morstan)
Enthusiasts of the original Arthur Conan Doyle novels
perhaps won't be as fond of this umpteenth take on cinema's most portrayed character, in which Sherlock is a slovenly, bare-knuckle fighting drunkard, to which Robert Downey, Jr. fits the
part incredibly well. His performance, in fact, cannot be faulted, it's the boringly plotted screenplay and poor direction where the film's weaknesses lie.
The novel approach is squarely for the popcorn market, and
though the performances, production design and costumes are pleasing, the geographical errors in continuity are something which cannot be forgiven, especially from a "true cockney" like Guy
Ritchie in the director's chair.
6/10
SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF
SHADOWS (12)
D: Guy Ritchie
Warner Bros./Village Roadshow (Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram,
Dan Lin & Susan Downey)
UK/US 2011
129 mins
Mystery/Action/Comedy
W: Michelle Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney [based on
characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle]
DP: Philippe Rouselott
Ed: James Herbert
Mus: Hans Zimmer
Robert Downey, Jr. (Sherlock Holmes), Jude Law
(Dr. John Watson), Noomi Rapace (Madame Simza Heron), Jared Harris (Prof. James Moriarty), Paul Anderson (Sebastian Moran), Stephen Fry (Mycroft Holmes)
Perhaps the title "Sherlock Holmes: Dead Man's Chest"
would have been a more apt title since this is closer in style and substance to the Pirates Of The Caribbean films rather than anything Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would write. All that's missing
are Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom & Keira Knightley from the cast.
Ironically, the story is an improvement on the first film,
but it's still Guy Ritchie's flashy direction which is the shortest straw. Robert Downey, Jr.'s scene-stealing performance deserved a better film really.
6/10
