DVD Reviews

Sherlock Holmes - DVD Review

By June L. Mar 30, 2010, 10:57 GMT

The hangman did his job, Dr. Watson declared the condemned man dead...yet Lord Blackwood has emerged from the tomb to assert his deadly will over 1890 London. Is he in league with the forces of hell itself? Is the whole Empire in peril? It\'s a mystery macabre--and only Sherlock Holmes can master it. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law put memorable imprints on Holmes and Watson in this bold new ...more

When one is dealing with a legend (be it Robin Hood, King Arthur or Sherlock Holmes) there is the chance that the “new” vision won’t work and audiences will be left with the sad feelings of disappointment.  This is NOT so with Guy Ritchie’s take on Sherlock Holms, starring Robert Downey Jr., and Jude Law as the intrepid detective Holmes and his good friend Dr. Watson.

Most of us have grown up with the wonderful old black and white films of Sherlock Holmes starring Basil Rathbone, or the masterful representations on PBS starring Jeremy Brett, not to mention numerous take-offs and sketches. 

One might be tempted to think that everything has been “done” with Sherlock Holmes, but think again.  This is not the elegant, intellectual freakishly neat Holmes we think we know.  Robert Downey Jr. gives new life to the character who in spite of his marvelous intelligence, is still extremely human, gifted with skills other than the ability of deduction, and not above using his talents to annoy others…most notably Dr. Watson and his lady friend Mary (Kelly Reilly). 

There is not much of the cozy fireside image, with Holmes deep in thought over his latest case.  Holmes in this telling is a man of action in a dark and gritty London on the edge of the mechanical age, not pitiful, but propelling itself into the future with all manner of new devices. 

Best of all it is populated with characters that are part Conan Doyle and part Dickensian comic relief, and it seems to inspire equally comic response from viewers once they get past the incredulity of “Sherlock Holmes?”  “Again?”

Be prepared for a lot of surprises.  While trying to explain the plot to someone without giving too much away, I said “early on the villain Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) is hanged, but he mysteriously comes back to life.”  There was a moment’s pause and my clever listener said “So it’s a perfect movie for Easter!”  

“NO,” I said once my jaw became mobile, “it is the VILLAIN who comes back to life.”  But my listener was already writing it down on his list to see, so HE may be surprised in many ways by this film.  I told my colleague Jeff about this and he laughed so hard he almost dropped his coffee cup, and then said I had to put this in the review, because he wished he had heard it first for his review of the Blu-ray edition of the film. 

Sherlock Holmes is a clever, fun, exciting adventure, with a hint of supernatural that is fitting for the gray London environment and the people on the edge of great changes.  My only complaint about the film is the lack of screen time for Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) and Watson’s Mary (Kelly Reilly) both of whom were brilliant. 

The Sherlock Holmes DVD is the theatrical release presented on single disc with a running time of 128 minutes.  As a special feature a 14 minute featurette “Sherlock Holmes Reinvented” is included.  This is informative and interesting, taking a look at how director Guy Ritchie and actor Robert Downey Jr., as well as the crew created a new Sherlock Holmes, based not on past filmed versions, but on Conan Doyle’s original stories. 

If you have not seen this film, now is the perfect time and with several formats available everyone should be happy.  Pop some popcorn, get a soda and enjoy the most fun adventure film in a long time.

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