From the very beginning, "Sherlock Holmes" was never going to adequately replicate Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's smart, structured mysteries. Whether it was the casting of Robert Downey Jr. or the hiring of Guy Ritchie as director, all signs pointed to anything but a throwback version of Sherlock Holmes. This is especially true considering that director Guy Ritchie's methods can be classified as fast and erratic, which definitely doesn't match the slow build up found in most Holmes tales.
Yet, for the day and age we live in, one that is more dictated by a faster pace and weird fetish for big explosions, it would've been silly for me to expect a Holmes film along the lines of a "Gosford Park", so I can't fault Warner Bros. for succumbing to public demand. With that being said, I can fault them for using a shoddy script. The key to any Holmes story and any mystery in general is that the plot itself is inspired and actually full of intrigue. If the plot is not deep with unnerving or sleuth like moments, then it isn't a mystery at all. It's simply a pretender. Furthermore, without a mystery present, then a character like Holmes is rather trivial since the whole point of his existence is solving rubric cube like crimes. Unfortunately, the script renders the character of Holmes useless because there really isn't a mystery present for him to solve. Instead, the screenplay falls back on the conventions of a tent pole blockbuster as it's not interested in creating a combination of mental and physical conflict for Holmes. No, it's merely focused on honing or playing up the physical prowess of this 'new' incarnation.
So, instead of building us to a villain or down a spiral staircase of mystery, we know everything we need to know. No intrigue, no twists, no nothing. If anything it plays out like your basic good vs. evil story arc. This would've been much easier to swallow had the screenplay actually created an interesting villain, but by the end when Holmes offers his solution monologue, the film's villain Lord Blackwood seemingly had nothing going for him to even begin to think he was a worthy adversary. Obviously this only further cements Holmes as an astute detective, but also cheapens everything that lead up to the films anti-climatic last scenes. It almost feels like the films plot would be better served for either a short story or a subplot versus sustaining an entire feature length film. With that being said, where the story lacks, the film's incredible cast and kinetic direction pick it up when it needs it the most.
As most people probably would expect, Robert Downey Jr. gives another charismatic and funny performance as Sherlock Holmes. He's cunning, smart, and most of all has a wit that would seemingly match the level of his I.Q. Found alongside Downey Jr. as Holmes straight man Watson is Jude Law, who's subtle candor often surprises with hilarity and true moments of "kick ass". Both Law and Downey Jr. play extremely well off each other, as they create a duo that in many ways matches the chemistry found between Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels in "Dumb and Dumber". Although I guess this would be the polar opposite in regards to the level of intelligence. Assisting Law and Downey Jr. in ramping up a stale script is director Guy Richie, who despite my prior doubts does a pretty good job with the material as he injects a sense of urgency and life into the film. Such an example would be how Guy Richie demonstrates Holmes breakdown of not only a crime, but also his fighting abilities. Using slow motion (a common tool used by Richie in the past), Richie is able to aptly run through Holmes thought processes in a way that is not only stylistic, but fun to watch.
In the end, "Holmes" is certainly a fun film to watch. There is action, comedy, and a great score, but the problem is that the fun is disrupted by a plot that is bland and doesn't differentiate itself from typical blockbuster fodder. Furthermore, the film's script lacks any kind of mysterious punch to truly challenge the intelligence of Holmes and the viewers. Sure Holmes and Watson may come to a few action packed challenges, but they lose their luster when in the end there was no real danger and no substantial challenge worthy for these literary heroes.
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