caffienekitty (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
caffienekitty) wrote2010-06-06 01:25 am
caffienekitty) wrote2010-06-06 01:25 am
Entry tags:
Reaction: Sherlock Holmes movie
Finally watched Sherlock Holmes. Short reaction.
One thing most of you probably don't know about me is that I've been a fan of Sherlock Holmes since, ooo, maybe age 8? Read the books, watched most of the iterations and variations on film and TV (Jeremy Brett rocks.) Haven't re-read or watched anything for a long time, but I was nervous that this film would get it wrong somehow.
It's awesome. Better than awesome. I love the way they interpreted Irene Adler and integrated her. Love that even though it seems like magic is at work, all along it's been science and mysticism and fear. Love the hints of steampunk, (my god the toolkit,) love the bond between Holmes and Watson, love the depth of all the background detail of Victorian England, just gorgeous. (Shallowly and costume-wise, the plethora of long-coats was nice too, and Blackpool's leather coat? Ooo. *grabby hands*) The reveal of Moriarty at the end made me cheer, as did the reference to Holmes' brother Mycroft.
And holy crap Lestrade!! First the apparent 'I'm betraying Holmes to the Order' then the actual 'I'm betraying Blackpool and helping Holmes' and both times I was thrilled. Lestrade and by extension the Yard and the police in most interpretations is treated as a joke. It was wonderful to get him as an ally, and one with more to him than as a foil for derision.
My only criticism is Robert Downey Jr. isn't British, but he can't help that. His accent sometimes was... unique. XD Aside from that, he was very much the more visceral Sherlock Holmes found in some of the books. Loved the information overload sense from when he was alone in public at the restaurant, the whole 'cannot shut off his mind' thing.
Very cool movie. Will watch again, and any sequels.
Now. It's been out for a while, there's got to be fic, right? Can anyone recommend some? I really want to see Holmes and Watson work with Torchwood. Or the Tenth Doctor. Among many other things.
ETA (09-18-10): POST-SHERLOCK BBC Re-watching. Dear god this movie doesn't hold up by comparison to the BBC series.
When re-watching this movie after having watched the Sherlock BBC series, the only characters that really held up for me were Jude Law's Watson and that one Constable with the 'my wife's a chambermaid' line. Most of the rest of them seemed to be operating in pantomime and humoring this random person who'd shown up claiming to be Sherlock until the real one turned up again. I can now see how weird and awkward the whole Irene/Sherlock thing is, and the whole action movie milieu left me cold this time.
Here's why I think that is. The BBC series got it right. The heart of it. The Ritchie movies are focussed, as most Hollywood productions, on the shiny bits and the surface and what they think the audience wants. They've drowned it all in CGI crinoline. They made Holmes an action hero, which by reading the original books he sort of is, but they've made him an American action hero, no matter what accent RDJ is wandering through at the time.
RDJ isn't a Holmes. Jude Law, though? He's a Watson. He's got the heart of it, and is a Watson several years down the road, frustrated by the situation and wanting to move on with his life. He rings true. RDJ is at best a pantomime Holmes, with the 'wacky' turned up because Hollywood thinks that's what audiences want.
All this is of course, just my opinion. I'll still watch further Ritchie movies, on DVD, but to me the BBC Sherlock is closer to true than Ritchie will ever be.
One thing most of you probably don't know about me is that I've been a fan of Sherlock Holmes since, ooo, maybe age 8? Read the books, watched most of the iterations and variations on film and TV (Jeremy Brett rocks.) Haven't re-read or watched anything for a long time, but I was nervous that this film would get it wrong somehow.
It's awesome. Better than awesome. I love the way they interpreted Irene Adler and integrated her. Love that even though it seems like magic is at work, all along it's been science and mysticism and fear. Love the hints of steampunk, (my god the toolkit,) love the bond between Holmes and Watson, love the depth of all the background detail of Victorian England, just gorgeous. (Shallowly and costume-wise, the plethora of long-coats was nice too, and Blackpool's leather coat? Ooo. *grabby hands*) The reveal of Moriarty at the end made me cheer, as did the reference to Holmes' brother Mycroft.
And holy crap Lestrade!! First the apparent 'I'm betraying Holmes to the Order' then the actual 'I'm betraying Blackpool and helping Holmes' and both times I was thrilled. Lestrade and by extension the Yard and the police in most interpretations is treated as a joke. It was wonderful to get him as an ally, and one with more to him than as a foil for derision.
My only criticism is Robert Downey Jr. isn't British, but he can't help that. His accent sometimes was... unique. XD Aside from that, he was very much the more visceral Sherlock Holmes found in some of the books. Loved the information overload sense from when he was alone in public at the restaurant, the whole 'cannot shut off his mind' thing.
Very cool movie. Will watch again, and any sequels.
Now. It's been out for a while, there's got to be fic, right? Can anyone recommend some? I really want to see Holmes and Watson work with Torchwood. Or the Tenth Doctor. Among many other things.
ETA (09-18-10): POST-SHERLOCK BBC Re-watching. Dear god this movie doesn't hold up by comparison to the BBC series.
When re-watching this movie after having watched the Sherlock BBC series, the only characters that really held up for me were Jude Law's Watson and that one Constable with the 'my wife's a chambermaid' line. Most of the rest of them seemed to be operating in pantomime and humoring this random person who'd shown up claiming to be Sherlock until the real one turned up again. I can now see how weird and awkward the whole Irene/Sherlock thing is, and the whole action movie milieu left me cold this time.
Here's why I think that is. The BBC series got it right. The heart of it. The Ritchie movies are focussed, as most Hollywood productions, on the shiny bits and the surface and what they think the audience wants. They've drowned it all in CGI crinoline. They made Holmes an action hero, which by reading the original books he sort of is, but they've made him an American action hero, no matter what accent RDJ is wandering through at the time.
RDJ isn't a Holmes. Jude Law, though? He's a Watson. He's got the heart of it, and is a Watson several years down the road, frustrated by the situation and wanting to move on with his life. He rings true. RDJ is at best a pantomime Holmes, with the 'wacky' turned up because Hollywood thinks that's what audiences want.
All this is of course, just my opinion. I'll still watch further Ritchie movies, on DVD, but to me the BBC Sherlock is closer to true than Ritchie will ever be.