Monday, January 11, 2010

From the Box Office: Sherlock Holmes

Robert Downey, Jr. continues to impress me with the phoenix-like resurrection of his career, adding another stellar performance to his resume with Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. Playing the title role of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's enigmatic detective only goes to cement his standing among the Hollywood elite and A-list actors.

From the opening scene through the closing credits, Downey, Jr. creates a believable real-world adaption of England's most famous sleuth. In addition, Jude Law's portrayal of Dr. Watson plays perfectly off the eccentric nature of Downey's Holmes. The on-screen chemistry the actors bring to these characters is the best I've seen since Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in Wedding Crashers.

Upon first glance at the trailer, I was less than impressed with the story, but after hearing several good things, I decided to give it a go. And let me just say, the trailer did not do justice to the film at all. The story was excellent and the set up for a sequel was flawless. The special effects and backdrop of 19th century London were believable, while the science behind the story was grounded in reality.

In addition, the fact that Holmes Kept referring to a short red-headed character as "the Ginger Midget" during the whole film kept me laughing throughout. I definitely recommend Sherlock Holmes to anyone who is a fan of genre films and am personally looking forward to the announcement of a sequel.