Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes (Too Elementary, My Dear Watson...)

Let me get a few important things out of the way first... Bob Downey is a demi-god.
There. Now that that’s been said... let’s move forward...

The wifey and i just came home from catching a screening of the former-Mr.Madonna-directed “Sherlock Holmes,” starring the aforementioned Robert Downey, Jr. as the title character backed up more than effectively by the very capable Jude Law as the loyal Dr. Watson.

"...Law comes in nice and steady through the movie, [and] exponentially adds to the dimension... [but] Downey just totally owns everything..."

I must confess that for all my pretension of being a neo-literati of some sort, i have never, ever laid my hands on a volume of Mr. Holmes’ exploits, whether by the great Arthur Conan Doyle, or anyone else for that matter. In fact, my introduction to the concept of Sherlock was the hapless Muppet “Sherlock Hemlock” in Jim Henson’s Muppet Show (or was it Sesame Street?). So for what it’s worth, i have almost nothing to base my assumptions on as to how supposedly loyal the characterizations are. I WAS, however, at least waiting for the supposedly classic “...elementary, my dear Watson...” which i didn’t get... i wasn’t surprised at not seeing the scenes where Downey repeatedly peered through a magnifying glass...

i’ll say this again... Downey is a demi-god... whew...

But while i seriously, honestly enjoyed watching the obvious chemistry between Downey and Law, i cannot say that i enjoyed “Sherlock.” Because while Jude Law, as good an actor as he is provides an excellently sardonic counterpoint to Downey’s nonchalant, swashbuckling genius... Downey, who has exhibited his chameleon-like talents in numerous movies such as “Chaplin,” to a lesser degree “Zodiac,” and my personal favourite, “Heart and Souls,” seems to have gotten lazy this time. Either that, or Director Guy Ritchie seems to think that since Downey’s “Iron Man” was such a joomungous hit that he might as well turn in an action movie starring Iron Man, and take out the armor to stop the guys at Marvel, whose sad asses have been bought by the sadder asses at Disney from suing his much, much sadder ass...

While Jude Law comes in nice and steady through the movie, exponentially adds to the dimension already delivered by Downey, and Rachel McAdams is fetching as ever, Downey just totally owns everything. Even the scenes where Downey is absent leave the viewer just wondering when he will turn up next.

Given the potentially cerebral nature of the central character, i was half-hoping for a more psycho-thriller piece. Instead, Mr.i-screwed-madonna-like-a-thousand-other-guys Ritchie delivers a slightly generic buddy-movie action flick, which fails to maximize the potential of its two leads. And i’m almost tempted to imagine Ritchie having snuck into David Shore’s office and stole a script for “House,” then reworked it by replacing Hugh Laurie with Downey, and Robert Sean Leonard with Law, then just threw in a few excerpts from rejected James Bond scripts... then, voila... “Sherlock Holmes!”

But i’ll say this again... Downey is a demi-god...

‘catch you later...