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In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous characters, "Sherlock Holmes" sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.
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Rated:
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[ M ]
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Cinema release:
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26 Dec 2009
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Director:
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Guy Ritchie
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Running time:
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128 mins
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Stars:
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Robert Downey Jr, Rachel McAdams, Jude Law
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Links:
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Official Site
IMDb
Rotten Tomatoes
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Video review: the world's most famous detective snoops into on Boxing Day, but while TheFIX's Sam and Val love Robert Downey Jr - did they love his latest flick? Watch video.
What we say
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The plot is not-so-elementary, my dear Watson
Robert Downey Jr is fantastic as iconic detective Sherlock Holmes, offering a performance as idiosyncratic and charming as Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow.
He's the biggest drawcard of a film which is otherwise a bit of a muddle. Director Guy Ritchie's trademark gangster talk and slick visuals don't quite mesh with the richly visualised 19th century London of the film, though he nevertheless does an admirable job of transporting audiences back in time to a world of cobblestones, steam and stagecoaches.
But it's the overly complicated storyline that's the biggest offender. For starters, there's no actual mystery to solve - which is a crime when your leading character is the world's most famous sleuth.
Instead, Sherlock and his trusty sidekick Dr Watson (Jude Law) race around London infiltrating secret societies, scrapping with touch guys, and clashing with Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), a nefarious villain who seems to be gifted with strange magical powers that threaten to bring down the Empire.
Complicating matters is Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), Sherlock's squeeze and the only woman to ever outsmart him, who has a mysterious double agenda.
The film is dotted with some spectacular action sequences, though by the time the climax rolls around — taking place atop the half-constructed Tower Bridge — it's hard to say what the previous two hours of plot had to do with any of it.
Downey Jr's Sherlock is wily, sardonic and athletic — quite different to the way the character is portrayed in Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories, which may irritate purists. But it's a smart way to put a fresh spin on a much-loved character. If only the rest of the film could have matched the standard set by its leading man.
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Find more info on Sherlock Holmes with Bing Search
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What you say
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Add a review
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What you say
[Untitled]
  
Overall a great flick. The plot line was good enough to keep me interested and I thought the characters of Holmes and Watson were great with good banter and witty raport. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would watch it again. I did think that the inner dialogue during the fight scenes was a tat overdramatic and lacked realism but as an action adventure movie I thought it stacked up well - although not really much of a thriller.
David Collins
Adelaide, SA
14 Feb 2010
Top Notch
This was an excellent movie. The very well-cast leading men -Downey Jr and Law performed admirably the witty banter of Holmes and Watson. Attention to details within the novels was appreciated but not overdone and as a result, the story retained it's contemporary feel and energy.
Well worth the watch.
Andrew Von Dinklage
Sydney, NSW
14 Feb 2010
Gritty Holmes is much closer to books than previous film versions.
As a child I spent many a long night reading through all the Sherlock Holmes adventures, so it was with some consternation that I entered the cinema, particularly after reading some reviews. I'm glad I went! While stopping short of portraying the drug habit Holmes has in the books, the treatment of this famous detective by Guy Ritchie is very true to the stories and something purists should enjoy. Gone is the Deer Stalker cap (thankfully) of earlier tv adaptations. Instead, we see Holmes running through the streets of London, donning various disguises and fighting in the mixture of Martial Arts, Boxing and wrestling described by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his books.
Here is a Holmes who you can imagine scaling waterfalls (as in A Scandal in Bohemia) and running across marshes (the Hounds of the Baskervilles). Jude Law's Watson is also a much more balanced portrayal, which makes good reference to his extensive military experience in the action sequences. The depiction of London is spot on as well.
I really enjoyed this movie and recommend it to lovers of the stories, as well as lovers of good action movies in general!
John
Sydney, NSW
25 Jan 2010
Left half-way
This was so lacking in engagement that I tried hard to stay...but left about half-way through...the pain of boredom was just too much
Anonymous
NSW
25 Jan 2010
Fantastic
i would have seen it ten times over if i could. i absolutely loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! one of the best movies I've ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous
NSW
10 Jan 2010
So boring
Most boring movie i ever watch. I slept half of time.
Anonymous
QLD
10 Jan 2010
Fantastic
Saw it, loved it.
As usual RDJ is fantastic. Jude is great, too. Good special effects however, RDJ lives and breathes the angst and brilliance of this character and brings it too life.
julie
Adelaide, SA
10 Jan 2010
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