I, too, was surprised by the obvious lack of Holmes' signature deerstalker cap and magnifying glass. Though these items were not original to the character, they have come to be expected of any portrayal of the legendary detective. In their place, Downey sports bloodied knuckles and a six-pack. Yet somehow, "Sherlock Holmes" director Guy Ritchie's refreshing reimagining succeeds in bringing an engaging story to a wide range of audiences.
According to "Sherlock Holmes" director Guy Ritchie, the jarring changes to Holmes' character were intentional.
"I wanted to dispel the idea of Holmes as an English fuddy-duddy. I thought, We've got a brand that's been internationally renowned for 100 years, a fantastic character that actors would line up to play and he can be an action hero!'" Ritchie said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly published one month prior to the film's release.
The film begins as Downey's Holmes and his sidekick Dr. John Watson played by Jude Law successfully track down Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), an occultist and serial killer who threatens Victorian-era London with mass hysteria. After Blackwood's hanging, however, he mysteriously rises from the grave, and Holmes jumps back on the case.
While the film includes more fist fights and explosions than the typical retelling of a Holmes story, Ritchie does not forget the intellectual prowess that made the character famous. Holmes' genius is portrayed on screen in a fashion reminiscent of the Fox series "House" and the USA Network series "Psych." Several scenes in the movie happen first in slow motion, with Downey providing voiceovers meant to demonstrate Holmes' nearly infallible memory and incredible observational expertise. The scenes are then replayed in real time, with each previously explained step coming together like a well-strategized game of chess. The plot also unfolds in scenes of smart dialogue, often between Holmes and Watson, during which Downey delivers line after line of dry wit against a background of fittingly quirky and discordant violin melodies.
Downey uses Ritchie's material to turn the world's most recognized sleuth into a layered, complex character the new Holmes is an intense workaholic who shelters an inner fragility under a veil of outward indifference. The viewers, who are privy to all of Holmes' flaws, cheer for the character, and it does not hurt that they want Downey to succeed as well.
Watson, a sarcastic yet good-natured physician, comprises Holmes' better half. Watson is the reclusive Holmes' primary link to the outside world, a setting in which Holmes is painfully and helplessly awkward. Watson permits Holmes' attempts at a solitary lifestyle for only a short while before dragging him into reality. The two actors' rapid-fire banter and "bromantic" rapport add an endearing quality that highlights their on-screen chemistry.
The dynamic between Downey and Law works so well, in fact, that their charming presences overshadow that of the third lead, Rachel McAdams. Compared to Holmes and Watson, the character of the beautiful con artist Irene Adler is unfortunately flat and unmemorable. The talent that McAdams has displayed in her previous films is not fully showcased in "Holmes," likely because the screenplay does not give her much to work with even the femme fatale's romantic plot line with Holmes is overpowered by the endlessly entertaining friendship between Holmes and Watson.
Kelly Reilly, who plays Watson's fiance Mary Morstan, is also stuck with an uninterestingly written role. Nonetheless, Reilly inserts as much flavor into the character as possible and somehow manages to give Morstan a feisty personality. The tension between her and Holmes generates amusement for the audience, largely due to Holmes' comical efforts to sabotage the engagement and prevent Watson from moving out.
With these various storylines, "Holmes" is an enjoyable mix of genres, ranging from drama and crime to action, comedy and adventure. Like a great mystery novel, the movie inspires audiences to join Holmes and Watson in their pursuit of Blackwood, as it provides clues and obstacles with splendid visual flash. In this way, "Holmes" retains the key characteristics of the original Sherlock Holmes novels regardless of its modern spin.
According to "Guinness World Records," over 70 actors have played Sherlock Holmes in more than 200 films, making him the most portrayed movie character ever. A creative reimagining must have been a challenging task, but the fictional detective has never looked more dynamic. After all, now he can be considered an action hero.
