First things first...May I beg your pardon for not having acknowledged the genius of Sherlock Holmes adequately and complimenting the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for having made 221B,Baker Street real enough to have the citizens of erstwhile British Empire,fervently search for the fictitious and reclusive genius that was Sherlock Holmes.
The silverscreen adaptation by Guy Ritchie,who has had successes with movies such as Snatch and Lock,Stock and got swept Away by Maddonna after which he got spurned by critics, comes across as an interesting representation of Sherlock Holmes and Dr.Watson who are nothing like we have been conditioned to believe by its creator, and neither is the premise of the story wherein for the first time Sherlock battles a sorcerer in the making.
Played brilliantly by Robert Downey Jr, Sherlock Holmes is a man who loves a good fight in the boxing ring ,drowns himself in the pleasures of wine and women and still manages to engage in some brain twisting mystery all at once. He is accompanied by his faithful friend Dr.Watson, played by Jude Law who shares the same roof and is yet contemplating to move out after his engagement. As the movie unfolds on the streets of 18th century London, we are exposed to the duo in action to prevent a certain human sacrifice carried out by Lord Blackwood a practicioner of black magic ,played with menacing effect by Mark Strong,who is hanged, but resurrects himself to wreck havoc on the city of London by gaining the powers of a secret cult. Sherlock Holmes and his partner in mission are called upon to resolve the mystery of his return from the dead and the murders that follow. Thus begins a brilliant psychological drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat,as Sherlock instinctively solves each part of the puzzle not through deep thought on an arm chair but by getting his feet on the ground and engaging in some wonderfully executed piece of action that is effectively combined with the essential elements of classical Sherlockian tendencies of solitude and eccentricity,so much for that one revealation which makes the on screen personfication of Sherlock Holmes both despicable and admired at the same instant.Robert Downey Jr. slips into the character in an oh so comfortable manner that for the entire time frame, you are not for once reminded of the classic Sherlock Holmes but are intelligently offered glimpses of the facets of his behaviour. However, for the sake of some allegiance to the classics, the character of Dr.Watson is kept close to the original and it is this eclectic mix of tradition with a twist that makes this movie a treat and shows strong possibilities of a sequel in the making.
Hans Zimmer clearly proves to be amongst the finest composers around in Hollywood with an amazing background that lifts this movie notches above. The fusion of indian strains with western strings gets to you almost infectiously and you stay back to hear the marvellous piece that plays during the ending credits.Go ahead ,dig into a tub of popcorn and admire the genius of Arthur Conan Doyle come alive on screen and on a parting note, if you havent had a flavour of his writing, let me warn you that this movie will have you heading to the nearest bookstore to get hold of the Sherlock Holmes Omnibus......a clear winner and I am going with a 4 out of 5 for this adventure that keeps u hooked while it lasts.....Have a blast!!!
Signing Off....
Eashwar
