Friday, January 22, 2010

Sherlock Holmes

I had been thinking about seeing this film for awhile. When it first came out, I didn't get a chance to catch it being occupied with the holidays and all.

Though, I kept hearing good things about it. So, I decided to finally go ahead and check it out.

As many people know, the characters are based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes. Being an avid reader of mystery and detective novels as a kid, I was really excited to see this movie.

Going into it, I did have expectations. Mainly, I thought this would be a "who done it" type of film being based on the life and stories of a detective. Though, I was mistaken.

Mostly, the film focused more on the characters rather than a "case" per se. While watching the film, I felt that I found out more information about the different characters (mainly Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson) than trying to solve a case.

To me, it was more of an informational film that focused more on the characters and their backgrounds. It was interesting. Though, it was not what I had expected.

In all honesty, I was expecting to see a "mystery" type of film. In reality, I saw more of an adventure and comedy type of film. Sure, the action was great - it kept my attention. Though, I still felt that mystery side of things was missing.

Throughout the film, there were a few bits and pieces of mystery. Though, not enough to make it a "mystery" type of film.

I don't want to spoil it for you but most of these bits and pieces of mystery were more about "how" something was done rather than who was the one that did it. (If you've seen the film, you'll know what I'm talking about).

Towards the end, they put more the kind of mystery I was expecting (i.e. who done it) when they introduced another villain.

And, the identity of the villain was kind of revealed but not so much information was given out. In essence, they left some questions unanswered about this new villain for of course, a sequel.

Overall, I would say the film was ok if you're looking to watch an adventure and comedy type of film. Though, it really didn't fulfill my expectations of being a "mystery" type of film.

If you're one who likes detective stories and mystery types of films, it may disappoint (in my opinion). On the other hand, as far as adventure and comedy goes - it was very entertaining to watch.

(Note: For other perspectives on the movie, check out the following reviews from my tweeps:

Action Flick Chick - Review Link
Kelly Whyte - Review Link

Happy movie watching!



Video Link

8 comments:

Candice Frederick said...

hmmm...thanks for your review. you know, i was thinking about seeing this movie over the holidays but as a fan of holmes, i didn't get why this film chose to how him really as a bumbling action hero type (at least based on the trailer). i don't know about this one. may be a rental

Film Gurl said...

I agree. Maybe too much of it from "Iron Man" (lol!). Thanks for stopping by!

memory cards said...

This Sherlock Holmes refuses to take himself seriously. Brilliant, because it allows to RDJ and Ritchie to let rip with their non-traditionalist revamp. Not so great because super-sleuthing loses out to bone-crunching. Either way, the brio is infectious.

Reel Whore said...

I had hoped for more with Sherlock Holmes, too. I thought Rachel McAdams was a waste. Her only real purpose was to introduce the sequel's villain.

I enjoyed it for the action and comedy, but the pacing dragged for me. Some of that was the lack of mystery and intrigue. I found myself wondering when they were going to get to reveal something.

It's a good movie to catch on TV one lazy Saturday.

Film Gurl said...

Yes, it definitely was not what I expected. It was more of an action and comedy type film to me than a mystery. Thanks for stopping by!

SciFiDrive said...

Jeremy Brett is the epitome of the character Sherlock Holmes but RDJ brings some relief to an otherwise serious portrayal.

Introducing Moriarty in the sequel I hope will bring out a more serious Sherlock Holmes (when bored he injects himself with a 7% solution of cocaine, a very bad habit).

I also recommend watching LXG or seven percent solution (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075194/.

Film Gurl said...

It would make for an interesting sequel. Appreciate the recommendation, I'll check it out - thanks for stopping by!

Vinicius Sa ELT 2C said...

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Congratulations again for this post and for all the other ones movie relateds, that besides having a known standard scheme of text, this post has its individuality due to your opinion and your way of writing.