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Sherlock Holmes Movie A Ritchie Hit?
Having always been something of a purist when it comes to Sherlock Holmes, I was somewhat wary before watching the new Sherlock Holmes movie by Guy Ritchie. I had seen one or two reviews, and by and large they were unfavourable. So I just had to see it for myself.
As Ritchie’s first big budget ($90million) movie he is surely looking for a box-office smash. As a terrific fan of the early Sherlock Holmes movies, particularly those starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Also a great admirer of the Jeremy Brett TV series, this film was something of a revelation.
Guy Ritchie has certainly put his own stamp on the character, not only Sherlock Holmes, played by Robert Downey Jr. but also that of Dr. John Watson (Jude Law). Personally, having read all the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle many times, I rather think that this characterisation of Watson is much more as the author intended.
Doyle never envisaged Watson as an affable, chubby buffoon. He was written as an Afghan war veteran, strong and thin, and expert with a revolver. Much more in fact as he is portrayed in this film. It would seem that Guy Ritchie has actually read some Sherlock Holmes and got it pretty much right. Downey’s Sherlock Holmes is gritty and wonderfully played.
The story centres around the character of Lord Blackwood (played by Mark Strong) who has been doing a Jack-The-Ripper impression, killing young ladies. However he is not your common or garden serial killer, having delusions of world domination involving the black arts.
There is lots more action in this film than any other Sherlock Holmes that I have seen. It works well here. Downey’s bare knuckle fight scene is excellent, if a bit spacey at times, and I loved the scene where Watson smacks Holmes on the nose when he gets objectionable over Watson’s engagement and pending marriage to Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly).
The female interest is added to by the inclusion of the character of Irene Adler, a pretty much throwaway character as written by Doyle, but given much more prominence here as the ex girl (lady) friend of Sherlock Holmes. Played by Rachel McAdams, she has a a fairly major role working for a inscrutable employer who apparently wants Holmes to investigate the murder of a chemist who is connected somehow to the resurrected Lord Blackwood.
The final scenes, played out on the almost completed Tower Bridge, are worthy of any Bruce Willis or Stevan Segal action-thriller. Much to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Sherlock Holmes film, and I think Guy Ritchie has finally got his blockbuster.
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SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE CREATOR OF SHERLOCK HOLMES RARE
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Conan Doyle/houdini/auto Photo Mugs SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE British physician and writer, circa 1924, with Houdini at the Auto Club, London …. |
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Conan Doyle/lamond Life Photo Mugs CONAN DOYLE writing one of the early Sherlock Holmes stories, circa 1892 …. |
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Conan Doyle/menpes 1900 Photo Mugs SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE British physician and writer, in South Africa in 1900 …. |
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The Hound of the Baskervilles [VHS] $8.86 Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce star in this 1939 adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s frequently filmed novel, and the result is one of the most atmospheric and purely enjoyable versions of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Except for minor changes, the script is true to Doyle’s enthralling mystery about a centuries-long curse against heirs to the Baskerville estate, situated within the haunting an… |
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Lost World [VHS] $8.79 The Lost World (Special Edition) is a terrific two-fer that includes Irwin Allen’s glossy, 1960 adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel as well as the fantastic, 1925 silent version of the same story. In essence, The Lost World is Doyle’s tale of an expedition to a mysterious plateau deep in the Amazon rainforest, where cantankerous adventurer Professor Challenger leads an expedition to prove th… |
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Lost World [VHS] $96.98 … |
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Arthur Conan Doyle Vinyl Wall Graphic Decal Sticker Poster $49.00 SIZE: 6’5”x 25in – Wall Graphic of Arthur Conan Doyle, a Scottish writer and physician well known for writing about detective Sherlock Holmes. The stories of Sherlock Holmes were pivotal in the development of the crime fiction genre. He also wrote romances, plays, poetry, historical novels, non-fiction, humours, and science fiction stories. This product is made in the USA and produced in 7 to 10 … |
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Sherlock: Season One $24.53 Two-disc set includes the pilot, “A Study in Pink,” “The Blind Banker,” and “The Great Game.” 7 2/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; featurette. **4 episodes on 2 discs. 7 2/3 hrs.**… |
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Sherlock Holmes (2010) $2.99 … |
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Sherlock Holmes $4.99 The world’s most famous detective gets a stylish and action-filled reinvention, courtesy of director Guy Ritchie and title star Robert Downey, Jr. When an occult-obsessed nobleman (Mark Strong) captured by Holmes appears to have returned from the dead, the sleuth and his often-exasperated colleague Dr. Watson (Jude Law) must stop the villain’s plan to topple the British government. Rachel McAdams … |