The Case of the Partial Review

Right. After reading some comments on Facebook (some from people who are not actually followers of my blog... yet... ahem... (grin)...) I realized that there was an omission to my review on "A Game of Shadows"; i.e., how does it stack up to the original stories? What about the Basil Rathbone series, Jeremy Brett's epic portrayls, or the modern "Sherlock"? How about all the great odds and ends, like "Without a Clue", or "The Seven Percent Solution", the wonderfully funny "Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother"? There is even a BBC series where Arthur Conan Doyle "reveals" the inspiration for the Holmes stories, called "Dr. Bell and Mr, Doyle. If you are a fan of Holmes, check this series out by all means..... anyway, I started to write this as a postscipt to the review, when I realized that this really need a whole new blog. Especially after I spent 20 minutes on writing it. ^..^

Sherlock Holmes may well be the most adapted character in literature. There are literally hundreds of films, dozens of TV and radio series, spinoff stories by people like Stephen King and Laurie King (no relation)Neil Gaiman, and the character was even given a Royal Society "Honorary Fellowship" about ten years ago. He has gone up against Dracula, been placed in modern times and the future, been on the Animaniacs... and yes, I have read or watched damn near everything Holmesian (is that a word? it is now). My grandmother was a huge fan, and got me started on her first collection when I was nine or so. My brother grabbed the books when she moved on. I'll have to kill him to get them I suspect. Ooops... ignore that.

So, as far as the two films by Guy Ritchie go, they are far from spot-on to the original ACD stories. They were never intended to be so however; like so many of these other works, they are an homage to "the greatest detective ever writen". I thoroughly enjoyed George C. Scott as the mentally unbalanced patient being treated by "Dr. Watson". Watching Nicol Williamson as the cocaine addicted Holmes in "The Seven Percent Solution" did not offend me in any way... though Williamson himself did, after he injured another actor on Broadway during a stage fight, because Nicol was too arrogant to show up for practice. Oaf. He was so awesome as Little John in "Robion and Marian".... oh well. I laughed during damn near every minute of Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman's portrayals, as well as the one by Michale Caine and Ben Kingsley.

I love to see all the little influences in film, television, novels of sci-fi, fantasy, steanpunk. Hell, he is even part of the inspiration behind Dr. Who (yechhh), and so many other detective characters. Batman's crime deduction methods are obviously takne from Holmes, and Johnny Depp gives him a nod in "Sleepy Hollow". You see tribute paid in Tom and Jerry cartoons, Mickey Mouse, you even see Daffy Duck wearing the famous deerstalker hat.

These two movies are action/adventure/comedies, and aren't intended to re-define or re-spin Holmes and Watson, any more than the anime dog Sherlock Holmes was. They should be looked at, not with a severely jaundiced eye, but with the affection for anything that introduces the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to a new generation of fans. If even one person in two hundred picks up a Kindle and downloads "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (which scared the hell out of me as a kid) or "The Sign of the Four" then I think the movies did a superb service.

And maybe, just maybe, one of the people reading those stories will start thinking a little more clearly; begin looking more carefully and closely at the world around them; and run for President.

I can dream, can't I?

The Girl With the Sherlock Tattoo

I just saw "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" and can safely say it's as fun

as the first one. Hopefully, I can write a review without spoilers.. but be warned anyway. Guy Ritchie directed this second film, so from the standpoint of visuals it has the same look as the first. Gritty London streets, fantastic and varied costuming, and a roller-coaster pacing throughout the film. Hans Zimmer returned to score the film, Jenny Beavan was once more in charge of the spectacular period costumes, and Richard Ryan as the Fight Director served up another round of the intriguing (albeit Matrixy) slo-mo "pre-vis" Holmes fights. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law worked seamlessly once more as Holmes and Watson, and with Kelly Reilly and Rachel McAdams back as the lovely Mary Watson (nee Morstan) and the slinky "whose side am I on now" Irene Adler, there are two lovely faces to watch. Added to the already great cast are Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes; you might recognize him from "V: For Vendetta", and the much prettier Noomi Rapace, the original and hardcore "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" actress. Tom O'Connell, one of the tribe of O'Connell's spawned by Skywalker Sound handled Foley this time around, so the explosions are big without being ear-piercing, and the little nuances are all there to fill the appropriate momments. Holmes is up against Moriarty (who else???) and the game is afoot from frame 4. Plot twists are relatively few, and there are several important clues and foreshadowings dropped.. and I missed one of them. There are plenty of funny scenes in the film, including a badly cross-dressed Holmes, and wait for Stephen Fry's big moment. There is also a sly little nod to "Two Mules For Sister Sara", which I just happened to see again a few weeks ago. They use the title theme from that movie at one point, and when you see this, you will know why and get an extra laugh. The confrontations between Moriarty and Holmes are the slowest sections of the film; but since they are filled with innuendo, snide repartee, and that lovely Victorian England uber-polite "I hate you, and plan to fill your intestines with burning coals. Tea?" dialogue, you don't get bored by the change of tempo. If "My Dinner With Andre" had that sort of dialogue and tension, I would own it. All in all, well worth my time and money; and the audience applauded heartily at the end; always a good sign. Did I mention that Noomi is hot?