182: Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes (PG-13) - 2009 - Runtime: 128 minutes
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Director: Guy Ritchie

Ahh, Guy Ritchie. I think I like him from a distance. I really enjoyed RocknRolla, but haven't seen Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, for which he's best known. Those are on my eventually will watch list, but for now, I've seen two of his movies. And this one was pretty fantastic - it's everything you want in a fun, action-adventure movie! This was Maggie and I's New Year's Eve movie (a new tradition that started last year with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

There's really no need to tell you about the story - Holmes is on the case to find out what the hell Lord Blackwood, the evil villain, is doing and why. He's played to wit and charm by Downey, who seems to have perfected to role of sly, quick witted and charming masterminds. He's accompanied by Jude Law's Watson - a man who sort of bumbles around and complains a lot. But that's the dynamic they were going for and it works. They're the odd couple and there's a bit of a bromance, but it never enters the realm of too awkward or too intimate. The movie is long, but it didn't feel drawn out or slow. It moved briskly and you were with Holmes every step of the way as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on.

The only big complaint I have about this movie - the goddamn mumbling! Seriously, I couldn't understand some of the dialogue because Downey was talking too low or their British accents got in the way. So it was hard to decipher some of the funnier or wittier moments of dialogue - but also some major plot points! As for the action and adventure - I love this version of Holmes! He's a brawler and as much as he's educated - he's from the streets, y'all.

Guy Ritchie manages to tie together a lot of different genres together and it all blends into one big mess of a movie (in a good way!). So if you haven't ventured out in a while - it's best you see this before it leaves the theaters!

Rating: See It!