By James White, MSN Movies |  |
Sherlock Holmes: Excited?
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RDJ’s on fine form
Since racing back to prominence and star status with the likes of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr has been busy proving that he’s lost none of his acting chops during the quieter years in his career and is just as able as ever to bring a laugh or make a moment work. Holmes looks to be a great fit for him – allowing him to showcase humour, action and his trademark impish charm.
Jude Law seems like a solid choice as Watson and based on the trailers (more on that below), it appears he has decent chemistry with Downey Jr, the pair sparring like buddies in a screwball comedy. And then there’s Rachel McAdams as Holmes’ love interest, a sparky spitfire of a reformed (mostly criminal) who’s more than a match for our hero. Finally, Mark Strong as the villainous Lord Blackwood brings the right amount of slightly OTT menace to the opposition.
It’s been a long road since the likes of Lock, Stock and Snatch, so we’re glad to see Ritchie breaking free of his comfort zone, but still sticking with a freewheeling action adventure set in and around London. Given that this is a whole new take on Holmes, the likes of Ritchie’s past work were the perfect audition. Let’s hope he’s brought us a winner.
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…But he’s had plenty of misses too
True, Ritchie did well with his first two films. But since then, he’s long been overshadowed by former producer Matthew Vaughn. Ritchie’s become better known for his marriage to (and divorce from) Madonna, and his recent output has been seriously mixed. RocknRolla was fairly solid but Swept Away? Revolver? Eh…
We do enjoy the banter between RDJ and Jude Law, or Downey Jr and Rachel McAdams, but otherwise, the promo footage we’ve seen just comes across as reaching for laughs or action and never quite managing to grab either of them. Hopefully new trailers will help to dispel our worries, but early test screenings haven’t been totally positive.
Yes, he’s a beloved, adaptable character who, like Robin Hood, has been re-invented many times. But does the world need one more Sherlock? If he does nothing but run the character’s name through the mud, we’d argue no…
Excellent
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