Sherlock Holmes

[Shadow Archon]

So, what was your opinion on the new film? I loved it.

[Pandonetho]

I thought it was pretty good as well.

I hear some folks don't like it because apparently it was too physical with all the action and doesn't depict Holmes as he was originally intended to be (or something like that), although not being a fan myself I'm glad they added in the action or I surely would have been bored.

[pure.Wasted]

Being a huge fan of RDJ, and a fan of the subject material, I was really disappointed. Injecting humor into Holmes isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but turning him into a pseudo-charismatic, silly chatterbox was just all the wrong ways to go about this. Especially so because I think RDJ could have done a superb job as a more mature, adult (but not necessarily humorless) Holmes.

There's some great material for the character in the books, like his addiction to drugs, his genuine obnoxiousness and arrogance... but obviously they choose to downplay that in favor of a more simplistic kid-friendly story. So... eh.

It was OK but I was hoping for a lot more.

[Islandsnake]

I thought we had this thread, but anyway I loved it - it was good fun!

[screw_ball69]

There's some great material for the character in the books, like his addiction to drugs, his genuine obnoxiousness and arrogance... but obviously they choose to downplay that in favor of a more simplistic kid-friendly story. So... eh.

Downplay it, he sits in a room full of smoke constantly empty Vials everywhere, hell Watson even announces at one point "what your drinking is meant for eye surgery"

[mr. peasant]

Being a huge fan of RDJ, and a fan of the subject material, I was really disappointed. Injecting humor into Holmes isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but turning him into a pseudo-charismatic, silly chatterbox was just all the wrong ways to go about this. Especially so because I think RDJ could have done a superb job as a more mature, adult (but not necessarily humorless) Holmes.

There's some great material for the character in the books, like his addiction to drugs, his genuine obnoxiousness and arrogance... but obviously they choose to downplay that in favor of a more simplistic kid-friendly story. So... eh.

It was OK but I was hoping for a lot more.

Though to be fair, RDJ's Holmes probably deviates as much from the source material as just about everyone else who's played him. It's just that it's in the opposite direction that makes it so jarring. If anything, he was a little closer. For instance, Holmes did carry a gun and was as much an expert swordsman and fighter as he was an observant and analytical detective.

[Xyvik]

. For instance, Holmes did carry a gun and was as much an expert swordsman and fighter as he was an observant and analytical detective.

But he rarely had to resort to such means in order to solve a case. The number of times he uses his sword / fists in the stories is 1/1000000th the number of times he sits back in his chair without eating in order to not let his digestive tract take energy from his brain.

I like the work of RDJ myself, but him as Sherlock (a character described as "so thin he looked even taller than his more than six foot frame") and Jude Law as Watson is simply too much for me to take.

Anyone who says RDJ came closer than others has also apparently never seen Basil Rathbone play the part. While Basil's Sherlock was not perfect either, it was certainly more suited to the quiet, obnoxiously brilliant Sherlock Holmes who resorted to physical violence only when dire necessity called for it.

it was entertaining...but it was not Sherlock Holmes, at least not according to this purist

[Roland]

I'm a big Holmes fan (I use his method of elimination in lore articles), and I thought the film was good, even though it wasn't pure Holmes, as people above me said, it doesn't really mean it's bad just because it's been distilled, although it may be less appealing to Holmes fans. There's a perfect example when he was trying to get Watson to deduce some detail about a lock, Watson noticed it had scratches around the keyhole and said in both the film and book that the owner must be a drunk. In the film Holmes approved, but in the book Holmes commented that every lock in London has scratches on it, as it's very hard to slip a key perfectly into a lock without using the concave surface of the knob to guide it in, look in your locks and you'll see it's true. I figure the film just changed it to fit the plot and to be simpler, but it's a perfect example of why it's not pure Holmes.

[mr. peasant]

But he rarely had to resort to such means in order to solve a case. The number of times he uses his sword / fists in the stories is 1/1000000th the number of times he sits back in his chair without eating in order to not let his digestive tract take energy from his brain.

I like the work of RDJ myself, but him as Sherlock (a character described as "so thin he looked even taller than his more than six foot frame") and Jude Law as Watson is simply too much for me to take.

Anyone who says RDJ came closer than others has also apparently never seen Basil Rathbone play the part. While Basil's Sherlock was not perfect either, it was certainly more suited to the quiet, obnoxiously brilliant Sherlock Holmes who resorted to physical violence only when dire necessity called for it.

it was entertaining...but it was not Sherlock Holmes, at least not according to this purist

Okay, so perhaps not everyone. The point I was trying to make is that the reason why this version of Holmes feels so different is because the 'typical' portrayal a lot of people are used to of Holmes is itself quite different from the books, which lies somewhere between RDJ's and the others.

And also, while Jude Law's Watson is also quite a departure from the original, I still find it preferable compared to the near bumbling fool that is often portrayed in other versions of him. After all, Watson's supposed to be trained physician and a former army surgeon. Back then, doctors were generally considered some of the brightest minds in society. And after spending so many years assisting Holmes, one would think he would pick up some skills along the way.

[dynamiK-]

I've heard a lot of good things about it. One of my roommates downloaded it, but I haven't watched it yet.