Sherlock Holmes! - no really bad spoilers
Dec. 25th, 2009 06:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
acanthusleafSaw it today.
I come from the perspective of never having read the novels or even seen the old TV shows. I get that it won't be like the books, and I thought it was pretty clear from the preview what kind of movie it would be. The preview did not lie. Much action, chasing, clever detectoring, sinister occultists, and dashing men in Victorian dress with hats. I love a man in a long coat and a nice hat.
The preview showed a bit of a boxing scene, and that was indeed an entire scene of RDJ being athletic and shirtless. I'll give those of us who appreciate such things a moment.
Whew.
Jude Law was less annoying than usual, perhaps because his character was supposed to be a bit peevish at Holmes. The Plucky Damsel did have a brain, but was still mostly patronized through the entire film. Watson's love interest was a small role, but better written. The whole occult-mystery plot was fairly foolish. The crows were overdone and annoying, but minor. Cool scientific and technical machinery, gadgetry, and weaponry. Not specifically steampunk because all that stuff maybe could have been period (except perhaps for the Fantastic Contraption toward the end and one particular handgun), but visually fascinating anyway. Cool coaches, filth on the streets and on the people but not stupidly overdone. Clever back-and-forth dialogue. Victorian social mores about a man and woman being alone together were completely ignored.
In short, it was overblown as only Hollywood and Guy Ritchie can be, but a good, fun action (not mystery) flick with excellent explosions. If you understand this going in, you will likely enjoy it, and if that's not your thing, you likely won't. Purists about the original stories had better stay away.
Laurie-Bob gives it two thumbs up, and I would see it again in a theater with a larger screen.
I come from the perspective of never having read the novels or even seen the old TV shows. I get that it won't be like the books, and I thought it was pretty clear from the preview what kind of movie it would be. The preview did not lie. Much action, chasing, clever detectoring, sinister occultists, and dashing men in Victorian dress with hats. I love a man in a long coat and a nice hat.
The preview showed a bit of a boxing scene, and that was indeed an entire scene of RDJ being athletic and shirtless. I'll give those of us who appreciate such things a moment.
Whew.
Jude Law was less annoying than usual, perhaps because his character was supposed to be a bit peevish at Holmes. The Plucky Damsel did have a brain, but was still mostly patronized through the entire film. Watson's love interest was a small role, but better written. The whole occult-mystery plot was fairly foolish. The crows were overdone and annoying, but minor. Cool scientific and technical machinery, gadgetry, and weaponry. Not specifically steampunk because all that stuff maybe could have been period (except perhaps for the Fantastic Contraption toward the end and one particular handgun), but visually fascinating anyway. Cool coaches, filth on the streets and on the people but not stupidly overdone. Clever back-and-forth dialogue. Victorian social mores about a man and woman being alone together were completely ignored.
In short, it was overblown as only Hollywood and Guy Ritchie can be, but a good, fun action (not mystery) flick with excellent explosions. If you understand this going in, you will likely enjoy it, and if that's not your thing, you likely won't. Purists about the original stories had better stay away.
Laurie-Bob gives it two thumbs up, and I would see it again in a theater with a larger screen.
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no subject
Date: 2009-12-26 03:08 am (UTC)But. Where did you go that had a small screen? I thought most places were large now?