Sherlock Holmes: DVD Review

Sherlock Holmes: DVD Review

Sherlock Holmes
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Rating: M
A Holmes for the new generation.
Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law - along with director Guy Ritchie - bring a new take on the Sherlock Holmes/ Dr Watson dynamic which for years has had a measured and slightly stuffy feel.
Upon arresting the nefarious Lord Blackwood (the ever brilliant Mark Strong), Holmes is riddled by taunts from Blackwood that this is only the beginning of the game.
When Blackwood appears to come back from the dead and starts haunting London, Holmes begins to realize there's more afoot - and sets out to try and crack the riddle.
But on the domestic front, Holmes is about to lose Watson to marriage and is distracted by the return of old flame Irene Adler (a wasted Rachel McAdams) - can he crack it all and save the day?
This new Sherlock Holmes is slightly disappointing as it's more about relaunching the franchise rather than providing a solid story. The plot's somewhat muddled and is more about setting up a sequel rather than giving the series a good solid start thanks largely to another crowd winning performance from comeback kid Downey Jr.
The end result means that some of Ritchie's more dazzling moments are crippled; a great action sequence and excellent way of showing how Holmes cracks problems are nice touches to the genre but this is a slightly missed opportunity.
Extras: Sherlock Holmes Reinvented looks at how the franchise was relaunched.

Rating: 6/10