In general, the modern-day action film leaves me cold.  The plot and dialogue are secondary to the CGI sequences and other special effects.  Marketing of the film in other countries brings in a good percentage of revenue, so the less the film relies on dialogue the better.  Still, I have been a lifelong fan of Arthur Conan Doyle’s consulting detective, and director Guy Ritchie has entertained me quite a bit with some of his past work.  Previous film incarnations have been rather sterile in my view, although I do recall enjoying “Young Sherlock Holmes” quite a few years ago, and “The Seven-Percent Solution” had its moments, but the preview for this new release gave me a bit of hope.  So we decided to give Sherlock Holmes a try.

Overall, it was a decent movie.  I liked it, although I can’t say that I loved it.  As I mentioned, Robert Downey, Jr. plays Holmes, with Jude Law his companion Dr. Watson.  As the film unfolds, Watson is planning on moving out of their Baker Street rooms and marrying his sweetheart (those of you who read the books know that this does not fall outside of Doyle’s direction).  Along with everything else going on along the way, Holmes takes any available opportunity to draw Watson back into his cases, and hopefully back into Baker Street.  The bickering between two friends with opposite goals is part of the charm this version holds.  Rather than being constantly submissive, Law’s Watson refuses to be bullied (but can certainly be manipulated on occasion, when he doesn’t see it coming).

The case Holmes is following involves Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), who is caught in the attempt of murdering his sixth victim in a typical cultish/mystic sacrifice.  Holmes and Watson stop the process, Inspector Lestrade and his men arrive to arrest Blackwood, and he is sentenced to hang for his crimes.  Before he dies, he warns Holmes that this is only the beginning, and that there are powers far beyond mortal men involved.

Soon afterward, it seems that Lord Blackwood has been resurrected from the dead, and Holmes is called in to solve the case.  Watson tags along, often while protesting or questioning his own sanity.  I won’t divulge any plot points from here forward, except to say that Holmes utilizes his usual keep powers of observation, as well as physical strength.  In sequences where Holmes is about to attack an adversary, we are treated in Guy Ritchie fashion to a blow-by-blow analysis in Holmes’ brain, dissecting his opponent and determining exactly how the fight will go before it even takes place.  I did find some of the trademark Ritchie quick cuts and slow/fast sequences to be more irritating then enjoyable, pulling me out of the story rather than further into it.  But overall the action is fun and necessary within the plot.

Downey’s Holmes has a quick wit, a sarcastic and somewhat childish sense of humor, and is unkempt most of the time we see him on screen.  Holmes’ notorious drug habit is never discussed, although his romantic side is touched upon, with the introduction of Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) – a con artist who has bested Holmes twice in the past, in part by using his affections against him.  Her reasons for being in London, and for approaching Holmes, are revealed a piece at a time in a subplot.

If you’ve never read the original Holmes stories, I suggest you do so.  But in the meantime, you could do worse than watching the film itself.