Sherlock Holmes is a kick-ass scientist hero! The reinvention of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as a Victorian era action hero duo in the new movie Sherlock Holmes may change the character of Holmes’ adventures, but it also celebrates the deductive reasoning of his character.
Robert Downey Jr. plays Holmes with Jude Law as an equally adventurous, and macho, Dr. Watson. The movie begins with what appears to be the culmination of their final joint enterprise in apprehending 19th century bad guys in London. They stop a demonic serial killer, Lord Blackwood, (also a member of parliament, naturally) who has been ritualistically murdering young women to serve some nefarious and mystical scheme. When Blackwood appears to rise from his grave, however, the two reunite to close the case.
Director Guy Ritchie does an excellent job of putting us in the head of Holmes who, it must be said, leads a somewhat tormented existence because of his inability to put the brakes on his runaway brain. It’s great for solving crimes and mysteries (and, in a clever wrinkle, figuring out where the other guy’s fist is going to land), but not so great for light dinner party banter. Holmes engages in bare knuckle boxing matches, apparently for the diversion. Whenever he bothers to pay attention to his opponent, he is able to anticipate and plan the series of blows that will win him the bout. It’s a 19th century version of the Matrix’s “bullet time.” When challenged by Watson’s fiancee to divine her past, however, Holmes’ inability to edit and control his powers of observation and deduction just make for embarrassment and a glass of wine to the face. Downey is characteristically charismatic, but his English-inflected bass mutterings, frequently at a rapid clip and into his collar, were sometimes difficult for me to understand. Jude Law is a fun Dr. Watson, far from the hapless assistant of past Holmes incarnations.
While the resurrected Blackwood continues killing people in ways that appear to be magical, a former flame of Holmes played by Rachel McAdams gets involved in his investigation. But her role seems mostly designed to lay the foundation for a sequel. But Holmes stays focused on solving the conundrum of Blackwood’s cultish murders and plot to - what else - take over the world. While those around him are readily persuaded that supernatural forces are at play, Holmes is steadfastly rational. “Data, data, data!” he demands of the police investigating one of Blackwood’s apparently magical murders. Holmes lives by the basic tenet of science: any theory lives and dies by how well it fits the data. His entire approach is based on collecting data and conducting experiments. Plus some pretty kick-ass hand to hand combat.
Why does it seem to be a requirement that modern Holmes adaptations involve Satanism (cf. 1985’s “Young Sherlock Holmes”)? I find that annoying. On the other hand, an “adventurous and macho” Watson is absolutely in keeping with Conan Doyle’s original stories, contra the classic Hollywood portrayal.
I was very anxious with the satanic start to the movie, and soooo relieved when Holmes cracked the case.