Sherlock Holmes (2009)

[dgwphotography]

I was surprised that this wasn't posted already. Holmes and Watson thrown into a buddy movie... I just saw this, and was thoroughly entertained, and enjoyed it. I have to admit that I'm a sucker for Robert Downey Jr.

[Frayed Knot]

Haven't gotten around to it - might now that it's out on DVD - but the reviews couldn't have been worse.
Maybe it's that some folks couldn't get their heads around the idea of displaying Holmes as a kind of action hero - but in the original books that's what he was, or at least there were action parts in addition to merely the brooding, thinking Holmes.
Besides, who better than to portray a drug-addict than RDJ.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Literary Holmes is an action man. Brooding, thinking Holmes is a Basil Rathbone invention.

That said, Downey-- and to a lesser extent, Law-- and his character as written/portrayed is most of what I liked about this one. Mark Strong was a flat villain, and the Snatch/Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels-stylizin' is beyond tiresome at this point.

[Guest cooby]

I 'm a big fan of Sherlock Holmes and the 1980's PBS Mobil Mysterys were something else.

I may go see this if you all think it's good

[Guest themetfairy]

I saw it in December. It's good but not great. The pacing is uneven. Downey is great, as always, but I thought the supporting case was a bit flat. But it's definitely worth a rental.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

It's definitely worth a rental, Coobs.

[RealityChuck]

I'm a big Holmes fan. This movie really had nothing to do with Holmes other than the character names. Holmes was not a man of action -- he was pure intellect.

But the film was very good. It's is a well-made and very entertaining action-adventure film.

(Some very strange geography, though. They manage to get from Parliament to the Tower Bridge in about 30 seconds -- but they're two miles apart.)

But it's not Sherlock Holmes.

[TransMonk]

I didn't like it much at all.

I haven't seen a movie that's knocked my socks off in a while. BOO!

[Valadius]

I liked it. I think Robert Downey, Jr. is turning himself into the next Johnny Depp.

[Edgy MD]

That would be very bad from my point of view.

[TransMonk]

My problem with Downey is that he has made a career out of playing snarky, witty, arrogant douchebags with a fair amount of charm. I have a harder and harder time liking his characters, so I also have a harder time rooting for them.

I'd like to see him play somebody other than an older version of Ian from Weird Science.

[MFS62]

Wifey and I both liked it.
She thought it was the best movie she saw all year.
The (Oscar nominated) production design was excellent. It made us feel like were were in the London of that era.
The script was witty as well as well written, and the two leads (as well as the final disclosure) set us up for (a) sequel(s) I wouldn't want to miss.
I would have liked to have been able to have voted it a top score of "7" as in percent solution.

Later

[RealityChuck]

TransMonk wrote: My problem with Downey is that he has made a career out of playing snarky, witty, arrogant douchebags with a fair amount of charm. I have a harder and harder time liking his characters, so I also have a harder time rooting for them. I'd like to see him play somebody other than an older version of Ian from Weird Science.

Rent Hearts and Souls, where he moves past that.

[TransMonk]

Will do...thanks!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

"Chaplin," too. (Though I don't really love the flick, he's great in it.)

[Guest themetfairy]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: "Chaplin," too. (Though I don't really love the flick, he's great in it.)

He was Oscar-nominated for that performance.

[Edgy MD]

Both performances, though, are infused with smugness.

[ashie62]

Chaplin is terrific..Check out Downey Jr. in Wonderboys

[Edgy MD]

I recommend WonderBoys for whatever ails you, and I actually consider disregarding Michaeld Douglas to be somethign of a hobby.

The point holds though. Downey is another smuggie in that.

[Guest cooby]

Okay, we saw it...it was "okay", I agree with MFS62 about the scenery; it was pretty neat. They had cranes then though?

I thought Robert Downey looked like Bill Bixby, but since I don't know one movie star from another I didn't know who any of them were anyway.

I still like the Mobil series better, by a heck of a lot.

Couldn't understand them half the time either.