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What it's about:
As the film opens, Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) and Watson (Jude Law) have apprehended the murderous cult leader Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), who promises he will return from the dead and exact his revenge even as he is being led to the gallows. It isn't long before our super-sleuth and his associate are hot on the trail of a new menace that threatens the country. But if it is Blackwood returned from the grave, how did he cheat death? And what terrible crime is he planning?
What we thought:
Robert Downey Jr. is a great actor. Unfortunately the better he is, the worse he makes Jude "The Bore" Law look - though Law is virtually typecast as Holmes’ stuffy English gentleman buddy, he manages to make a role in which the comedy depends on being dull utterly unfunny.
Guy Ritchie’s usual cluttered direction is OK on a small budget, with a quirky script and talented British actors. But combined with overly long action sequences and effects, tunnels of flame, and drawn-out street scenes, his good taste makes about as much sense as an antique table in the middle of an apartment furnished from Morkels.
The dark and arty lighting seems promising at first, but Iron Man did it better. Clever, immersive techniques use sound and slow-mo to take you inside Holmes’ mind, breaking down his thoughts to expose his strategy and the working of his legendary instincts.
Unfortunately, the last thing any action fan really wants is for the pace of the plot to slow, and the last thing any thriller fan wants to know is the secret to a character’s superpowers. Very clever, Guy. Have a Noddy badge.
The production values and scenery really are great, and with a bit of brutal editing, this could have been a fun popcorn flick. But the two-hour running time feels like three, and the plot has one curve too many - nothing sharp enough to be called a "twist".
This is one of those movies you look forward to, which eventually disappoints you. It’s probably worth hiring on a rainy DVD day, but there are much better things on circuit right now, and much better Downey Jr. movies. It’s really very hard to see why this is the one that earned him a recent Golden Globe nomination.
