Sherlock Holmes: Review By Vamp

Well when I first heard that this movie was going to be put into production, I didn't really give a damn. I'm not familiar with anything Sherlock Holmes related, other than what everyone else knows. As far as I was concerned he was some stuffy British snob who went arond solving crimes with an unusual knack for searching out clues. Big f*cking whoop, right? Anyway, when they finally released a trailer for the movie, it seemed that either A) my assumptions were fueled by Scottland Yard stereotypes, or B) they had changed up the character to modernize him and make him more interesting. Either way, I was completely hooked, and ready to watch the movie. Going to see this movie today was actually a last minute decision, and for like twenty seconds it seemed like we'd be going to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel," but after some compromising we split our separate ways, and me, my father, and one of his friends entered into the theater playing "Sherlock Holmes." When we saw how empty the theater was, I have to admit I was rather worried about the movie's worth, but I'm glad I didn't go sneak into something else. Once the movie began, I was completely immersed in action and comedy that spanned the whole movie, as well as the proper ammount of tense and suspenseful moments sprinkled in there. The funny thing about this movie that I found is, it keeps you so into it, and makes you think of it as awesome, but you don't really realize the full impact of it's awesomeness until you're leaving the theater and thinking back on it. It's a great effect because not only does it make the movie stick with you, it also helps the producers and everyone involved in making the movie raise money, since you're more than likely going to want to turn right back around and see the movie again! So if you want my opinion? See the damn movie. It's definitely worth it.

The director of this movie is Guy Ritchie, known for his hand in such movies as "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" and "RocknRolla." Ritchie is known pretty far and wide, I'd wager, and he's known for being a good director. I don't know about this, since I've never seen any of his other movies. However, I do know that what I saw in "Sherlock Holmes" was definite skill behind the camera, and that's definitely a plus. It also makes me want to check out some of his past works, and test their worth. Ritchie's work is aided by the writers of the story. Working the screenplay are Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, and Simon Kinberg, while on the story we've got Lionel Wingram and Michael Robert Johnson, and all of these guys are working at one goal in this movie, and that goal is to bring to life in a newer light the characters of legendary author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes and his ever-faithful sidekick, Dr. Watson. The writers depict these characters fantastically with witty dialogue, evil natures, and interesting personalities, which ultimately help make the movie even more enjoyable, since you actually like the characters and care about what's going on with each of them, instead of other movies where you watch the movie, are interested in it, but don't really care about any of the characters on screen. So overall, I'd say the behind-the-scenes workings of this film were very well done, and ultimately help make this movie the awesome experience that it truly is.

The visuals of this movie are fantastic. They really create an intense and cool view of the older times in London and whatnot. It's dark and gritty at times, while at others it's light and breezy. Just the proper amount of both subtly give you hints at when it's time to be serious and when it's time to be in a light mood, and then right when you think you've figured that out, it adds dark humor in the dark parts, and some mild seriousness in other parts. This visual effect is pretty stimulating, as it helps to make your experience more entertaining. What I thought was coolest about this movie's visuals were all of the olden times modern inventions. They were interesting to see worked in action, and overall end up to be a very big part. There's a scene where Sherlock and Watson are digging through the workshop of a certain little person, and they find a lot of strange things there. Some of the things are gruesome and disturbing, some are strange and out-there, and some are just plain mysterious, but the overall effect is of someone whose been hard at work creating something, and this really adds to your feelings of wanting to find out just WHAT that something is, if you know what I mean. I really enjoyed that effect that the movie managed to create because it made you yearn for more information on the mystery. If you ask me, that's EXACTLY what a good mystery movie should do, slowly but surely build the suspense by subtly slipping you little bits of information, but make them bits that make absolutely no sense until the end. And that's DEFINITELY something that I would expect from this, since it's Sherlock Holmes. So overall, the visuals hand you exactly what you need to keep your interest, and, like the behind-the-scenes working, help make the movie the intense film it's supposed to be.

The storyline of the movie is basically easy to grasp, but it's also very complex. Which I believe all movies should be. Something that you can easily understand, but it's full of layers. For instance, the basic plot is revealed early on, and you know exactly what Sherlock is going to have to do, BUT! More and more things unfold, and you begin to see how confusing it can get. So you know WHAT is going on, even if you don't what the end result will be. This is something that, ultimately, all mystery movies should have. A sense of... well... MYSTERY. It's what drives them forward as such interesting pieces to watch. And since this is Sherlock Holmes, who is, in my humble opinion, the grand-daddy of all mystery stories of this sort, I would expect absolutely nothing less than what we got. Like I said earlier on in this review, I'm not familiar with anything Sherlock Holmes other than what is constant knowledge. The one thing that this movie lacked, and what ultimately left me feeling a little ripped-off was the exclusion of a certain line from Sherlock Holmes. I'm sure you'll know exactly which line this is. For those of you who don't know, it's Holmes' ever-famous quote, "Elementary, my dear Watson." When the credits began rolling and I had not heard this line said, I was a little let down. Not enough to ruin the whole movie for me, but like all other fans, I'm sure, were hoping, I really wanted to hear him say it. And it's not like there weren't any oppurtunities for him to say it because there were. There were many spots where he could have popped the quote, and bring smiles to all of the fans of Sir Arthur's series, as well as those who enjoyed the show that used to play on television. Overall, the storyline gives us just what it should. And easy plot, but one that has enough layers to keep the viewers thinking. This adds to the effect of the movie, and, like everything else, makes the viewing experience more enjoyable.

Sherlock Holmes (played by Robert Downey Jr. of "Iron Man") and his partner Dr. John Watson (played by Jude Law of "The Holiday) begin the movie by storming into a secret, and obviously satanic ritual, and stop a cloaked and disguised man from killing a young lady. As they unhood the man, they realize who he is: a certain Lord Blackwood (played by Mark Strong of "Body of Lies") who reveals himself to have gained access of a certain power that they'll never understand. They shut him up, save his victim, hang him, and enjoy the fact that they have solved a case. However, for Sherlock this is a bittersweet case-ending. He got the bad guy like he always does, but it's the last case he'll be working with his best friend, Dr. Watson. Dr. Watson is going to be moving out of their flat and in with his new fiance, Mary Morstan (played by Kelly Reilly of "Me and Orson Welles"), whom Sherlock isn't very fond of. After a disastrous dinner-date, where Mary decided she doesn't really care for Holmes' keen eye for details and deduction, Holmes gets a call from a very old friend. This very old friend, we can tell from the beginning, was a past love of Sherlock's, who goes by the name of Irene Addler (played by Rachel McAdams of "The Time Traveler's Wife") who we can also tell is a sort of cat-burglar criminal type. After talking about how long it's been in witty banter, Addler tells Holmes that she wants him to find someone for her. He denies her, but you can tell that he's going to do it because he's been looking for a good case to occupy his time. As he's investingating, Watson is brought with him and they encounter some trouble. However, Sherlock gets a distress summons from the chief of police, Inspector Lestrade (played by Eddie Marsan of "Hanc*ck"), who informs him that Lord Blackwood has returned from the dead. Holmes and Watson are aghast, and completely deny it until they see for themselves that he has indeed risen... Or seems to have. They dig the coffin out of the remains of Lord Blackwood's tomb, and see that the body of the person whom Addler wanted Sherlock to find has been placed in the tomb. Now the mystery begins as Sherlock and Watson must find out what's going on, and what's the plot that Lord Blackwood is undoubtfully creating. Holmes is hindered by constant people trying to end his life, as well as the shennanigans of Addler, who has an agenda of her own, undoubtedly. Holmes must watch his back at all times if he is to catch this seemingly-undead killer and solve another case that seems to have drug Watson, rather unwillingly, back to his side... For this case at least. All of the actors and actresses who lend their work to this movie do a fantastic job. Mark Strong is one of the most sinister bad guys that I have seen in a long time, and he plays his part VERY well. I'm pretty sure that I don't need to note how well Robert Downey Jr. plays his role. He's had his ups and his downs, but ultimately he manages to deliver his performances spectacularly, and this is no exception. He plays Sherlock brilliantly, and definitely makes Holmes much more interesting than the stuffy old British man I always imagined. Jude Law, whose never really been a favorite of mine, plays Watson brilliantly, and I definitely enjoyed the sort of "I'm-a-sidekick-but-you-would-die-without-me" charm that the character had. It really worked for him. Rachel McAdams always delivers a good performance, and her charming looks definitely lend a hand as she seduces the characters in this movie to get what she's looking for. McAdams definitely makes Addler one of the more intriguing characters of the movie. Eddie Marsan plays the seemingly dopey police chief of the movie, and he does it very well, making the character more idiotic comic relief, which helps to counter-act the intelligent funniness that you get from Holmes and Watson. Overall the actors and actresses did their parts brillaintly, and make the characters and movie completely enjoyable all the way through. DEFINITELY a great job on the casting of this movie.

All in all, this movie gets my full vote of confidence, and I urge everyone who reads this to go and see the movie as soon as you can. It's one of those movies that sticks with you a long time after you've left the theater, and it's definitely one I plan to buy when it hits the DVD shelves. The directing and writing is very well done, the visuals are fantastic, the storyline is superb, and the acting is magnificent. The only disappointment is the absence of a certain famous quote from Sherlock Holmes, and as I stated earlier, it wasn't enough to ruin the movie for me. If I had to wager a guess, I'd say that this was my favorite movie of 2009 right behind "2012" and "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans." It was truly very well done, and makes Sherlock Holmes grittier and more fun, so that the younger audiences can enjoy a hero that the older audiences love. That's something that I love to see in movies because it not only makes things fresh and interesting, but it also helps to immortalize the characters of our past. So if you've got any doubts about seeing this movie, then I urge you to cast them all aside. Give it a chance! I'm almost POSITIVE that you will NOT get disappointed with it in ANY way. I know I didn't!!!!!