Sherlock Holmes: a movie review

Most of our childhood heroes in the real world have a fallible side. In the world of books and movies, however, heroes quite often stretch all kinds of limits. While He-man and Batman had their charm (for want of a better word), one character who really made me marvel more than any other was this pipe-smoking, violin-playing, consultant detective created by Conan Doyle.

Holmes, in the books, was just masterly. While the author's plots may have lacked the subtle, crafty genius of some other detective authors, they were runaway masterpieces all the same. The stylishly mesmerizing character of Holmes, his masterful monologues and the chronicler's storytelling - all these had made my day so many times when I was younger.

So you can imagine the sense of excitement I felt when I saw Sherlock Holmes on the big screen (for the 1st time) at Devi theatre today evening. The sheer weight of my expectations (based on my own picturization of Holmes) would have probably made Guy Ritchie think twice before inking this deal.

But, as it happens sometimes, I was not disappointed. At all.

Sherlock Holmes (the movie) is a wonderful, unmissable trip down memory lane for his fans. The characterization & acting are terrific, dialogues simply riveting and the pace of the movie compulsive; the storyline is another highlight.

Jude Law, although handed a slightly under baked character, plays the urbane 'sidekick' Watson with consummate ease. Rachel McAdams as "the woman" (to quote Holmes in one the books) has great screen presence, in more ways than one. Even the characters of Lestrade and Blackwood (a new adversary) manage to impress.

But, as in the books, the character who steals the thunder is Holmes. Robert Downey Junior lives the character of Sherlock Holmes, depicting the requisite eccentricity and sporadic (inspired) bursts of energy all in STYLE. He is supposed to be the star of this show, and he delivers. Big time.

With hints of a sequel in evidence, we can expect Professor Moriarty to make an entry. And judging by the direction in this movie, that is one imminent showdown I am really looking forward to. But for all you guys who haven't yet caught this installment, make sure you book box tickets at Sathyam (Devi might reach Sathyam's standards after a few more renovations, but until then ............) and sit back & enjoy the most intelligent entertainer in recent memory.

P.S - I badly wanted to use the line "It's elementary, my dear ....." somewhere in this post. But I couldn't. Or did I, just now? :P