By Malice Intended

Classic characters of literary fiction have to be updated for modern sensibilities.  Their immortality as enduring characters does not make them immune to the ravages of age.  As time goes on, the world changes, as do audience tastes.  Devoted fans would like these characters to remain untouched in a vacuum; they want adaptations that do not stray away from the source material even in the slightest.  Unfortunately, big business and popular culture do not allow for that.  Even the most tried and true formulas need updating.

Sherlock Holmes is the latest big screen incarnation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master detective.  Set in 1890’s London, The eccentric, yet brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his companion Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) apprehend the sinister Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) before he can perform a human sacrifice.   Blackwood is put to death, but mysteriously rises from the grave days later (or so it would appear). 

Shortly after, senior members of an occult secret society are found murdered.  Holmes and Watson investigate the murders in tandem with Blackwood’s resurrection in hopes of bringing closure to both, though the task proves to be more than they bargained for. Further complicating matters is the reemergence of world class thief and con artist Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), whom Holmes has always had a weakness for.

Director Guy Ritchie has never been short on style, as evidenced by his crime pictures Snatch (2000) and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking barrels (1998).  Unlike those films, Sherlock Holmes is an expensive mass audience entertainment.  It’s meant to appeal to as wide a demographic as possible.  It cares not about being faithful to the source material or fans of the director’s previous work.  In many regards it’s a rather generic film, doing only what is necessary to get the job done.

The action consists of wall-to-wall fight scenes with a few elaborate set pieces.  The fight scenes are amazingly brutal, employing a bar brawling style that stands in stark contrast to the intricate Martial Arts choreography of most modern action pictures.  The punches seem to actually connect, lending an air of realism that makes the fights more visceral.  Also amusing is the device of using slow motion to demonstrate how the analytical and intellectual Holmes maps each move out in his mind before engaging his opponent.

The story provides a neat little mystery for Holmes and Watson to solve.  It manages to be diverting for the film’s running time though it hits all the predictable beats.  Attentive viewers will probably solve the mystery long before the protagonists ever do.  The one area where the screenplay succeeds is that it gives the protagonists dialogue that emphasizes their affection for each other as well as the uneasy nature of their partnership.

Robert Downey and Jude Law exhibit an easy chemistry as Holmes and Watson.  Neither turns in award worthy performances, but they both seem to realize the light hearted approach that is necessary for a film of this type.  Robert Downey makes the wise decision to sit back and let his charisma and quirks do the majority of the heavy lifting.  He focuses on making Holmes both laughably eccentric and easily likable.  Mark Strong is merely serviceable as Lord Blackwood.  He does what is required of the roll and not much more.

Though entertaining, Sherlock Holmes feels rather bland.  It is frustratingly adequate.  It does its job and provides a decent couple of hours of entertainment and nothing more; exactly the sum of its parts.  Everything is executed with competence, but nothing stands out in any meaningful way.  It goes down easy and tastes good, but somehow manages to be less than filling.

Sherlock Holmes is the prototypical blockbuster in many ways.  It provides audiences with a very basic rundown of what they want and expect.  It earns satisfactory marks in every category, but seems content to simply get the job done.  Considering the talent involved, it could have set its sights a bit higher.  Maybe the inevitable sequels will improve on this formula. Sherlock Holmes hits its target, but its target is the lowest common denominator.

 Out of 5

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