Rating: PG-13
Starring:
Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes
Jude Law as Dr. John Watson
Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler
Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood
Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lestrade
Robert Maillet as Dredger
Geraldine James as Mrs. Hudson
Kelly Reilly as Mary Morstan
William Houston as Constable Clark
Hans Matheson as Lord Coward
James Fox as Sir Thomas
William Hope as Ambassador Standish
Clive Russell as Captain Tanner
Oran Gurel as Reordan
David Garrick as McMurdo
Special Features:
Maximum Movie Mode
Sherlock Holmes: Reinvented
Blu-ray Live Enabled
Includes Standard DVD Copy Of Sherlock Holmes
Includes Digital Copy Of Sherlock Holmes For Portable Media Players
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.85:1)
DTS-HD MA 5.1
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Spanish and French Subtitles
Spanish and French Languages
Running Time: 128 Minutes
The Details:
The following is the official description of the film:
“The game is afoot – and astounding! Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law put memorable imprints on the roles of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in a bold reimagining that makes the famed sleuth a daring man of action as well as a peerless man of intellect. Director Guy Ritchie helms the excitement, reintroducing the great detective to the world. Meet the new Sherlock Holmes.”
“Sherlock Holmes” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material.
Mini-Review:
I saw “Sherlock Holmes” in the theater, then again on Blu-ray in my home theater and I have to say that I think I liked it even better the second time around. When I saw it in the theater I was a bit wary. Having seen the trailers showing Sherlock in slow motion battle, explosions, witty one liners, etc. I was expecting the cheesy Hollywood version of the classic character. But what ended up on the big screen was more Sir Arthur Conan Doyle than Sir Michael Bay.
I was impressed with Robert Downey Jr’s unique take on the classic character. He portrays him as a eccentric social misfit, so intelligent and observant that he almost doesn’t fit into society. While he doesn’t dabble in cocaine like in the books, you could see the character in the movie trying it for the sake of scientific study. And while he is a scientist and bookworm, he is an exceptional fighter as seen in the trailers. I liked how they showed Sherlock plotting out all of his moves and reactions in the fight in slow motion beforehand, then executing them very quickly immediately after. It was a unique and clever way to portray a fight scene.
Recognition is due to Jude Law for taking on the role of Dr. Watson. While he’s been portrayed rather unflatteringly in the past and a mere sidekick to Sherlock, he plays a much more relevant and interesting role here. Law is never overshadowed by Robert Downey Jr’s strong performance and the end result is a great big screen partnership. Rachel McAdams equally holds her own with Downey as Irene Adler. She’s as beautiful as she is wily. It’s a great role for her. Mark Strong also breaks out as a great cinematic villain as Lord Blackwood. He has a great mix of science and supernatural with his character, something that makes him a great match for Sherlock Holmes.
“Sherlock Holmes” reminds me a lot of “Batman Begins.” It’s a successful and innovative relaunch of a very familiar character and the finale hints at a bigger and badder menace in a sequel. Let’s hope “Sherlock Holmes 2” can be as successful a sequel as “The Dark Knight.” While this film was overshadowed by “Avatar” over the Christmas holiday, it’s a film not to be missed.
The Blu-ray set includes DVD and digital copies of the movie. On the Blu-ray you can watch the movie in “Maximum Movie Mode” which shows director Guy Ritchie popping in occasionally and telling various stories from the set. There’s behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, and various featurettes that pop up which you can watch by themselves. They cover the costumes, the sets, the casting, the visual effects, the fighting styles, and other cool stuff that you’d want them to talk about. “Sherlock Holmes: Reinvented” talks about the fans of the original books and how Holmes was adapted for this movie. Rounding out the bonus features are “Blu-ray Live” extras.
