Review by Barbara Petty

I have never read any of the original Sherlock Holmes novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but I did see a few of the movies starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Rathbone’s clipped, “very British” way of speaking, the ubiquitous pipe and hat, and his astute, logical way of solving crimes were, in my mind, the personification of what Sherlock Holmes was supposed to be.

When I saw the first remake of Sherlock Holmes in 2009, I was a bit put off by some of the updates – specifically that Holmes and Watson are now martial arts experts. Not only can they outwit everyone, they can outpunch them as well. Robert Downey Jr.’s version of Sherlock is a combination of super sleuth, action hero and 007.

Truthfully, I had to watch it a second time to really appreciate the updated Holmes and Watson (plus I could turn on the subtitles so I could follow the fast-paced repartee between the two). Jude Law as Dr. Watson is now more of an equal to Holmes, and not the older, slightly bumbling sidekick as he was portrayed in the 40s. Plus Downey and Law bring some sexiness to the characters – both are easy on the eyes! The introduction of female love interests provides additional entertainment and sub-plots.

In the first Sherlock Holmes of 2009, we have Holmes and Watson engaging in a battle of wits with nemesis Lord Blackwood (there is always a nemesis, the writers kept that part the same…) We also meet Mary (Kelly Reilly), Dr. Watson’s betrothed, and Irene (Rachel McAdams), a love interest – as well as rival – to Holmes. The ending is a sure-fire indication of a sequel to follow as we discover that Professor Moriarty was the person Irene was working for.

In Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows, the dastardly Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) is planning to engineer World War I some 23 years early by using anarchists to blow up French and German dignitaries in such a way as to annoy both countries. His motivation for doing this is he is an arms manufacturer, and stands to become extremely wealthy if the two countries go to war. Moriarty is the perfect foil for Holmes as he is just as intelligent, but motivated by greed and power. Although loosely based on Conan Doyle’s short story, The Final Problem, only the final climactic scene with Moriarty is all that remains of the original plot line.

As with the 2009 release, the plot is secondary to the action scenes, the humor and the character development. We are introduced to two new characters; Holmes’ brother, Mycroft (Stephen Fry) and a gypsy named Madam Simza Heron (Noomi Rapace). Some of you may be familiar with Rapace as Lisbeth Salander from the original Danish Girl With the Dragon Tattoo movie. Although Mycroft Holmes added some humor to the movie, I found Rapace’s character lacking in any depth. In fact the movie producers could have put most anyone in that role rather than wasting Rapace’s talent.

Guy Ritchie returns to direct this second installment, and he retains the same flavor of the previous release with fast-paced edits, elaborate sets, and unique camera angles. In fact the pacing is so quick that you have to stay alert to keep up with everything. I’m sure I missed some of the dialogue and subtle foreshadowing, but no doubt I will rent it and watch again with the subtitles.

If you are a true aficionado of the original movies with Basil Rathbone’s portrayal of Homes, which is more true to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s complex, cerebral character, then you probably won’t like either the first or second installments of Sherlock Holmes. But if you can get past that and just enjoy it for what it is – a fun diversion – then by all means, check it out at the movie theatres. Or wait until it becomes available on DVD and make your own popcorn.

But please, would someone tell Ritchie to have Holmes shave for Sherlock Holmes part three? That contemporary stubble just doesn’t work for a gentleman living in the late 1800s, even if it is on Robert Downey Jr.