Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Boring Movie

Two visually enjoyable films in this December's otherwise lacking line up are Avatar (December 18) and Sherlock Holmes (December 25). The bf and I trekked through the snowscape that was DC yesterday to a matinee showing of Avatar. It's basically everything the reviews say. Visually exciting, technically game-changing, but with an overtly anti-colonialist message and completely predictable plot. I really have little new to say about this beyond what Manohla Dargis and Dave Denby have already stated better. Avatar is ultimately memorable, though, the way that the first time you saw Star Wars or Jurassic Park was also memorable, simply for the thrill of seeing something so cool for the first time.

Sherlock Holmes is a different matter. What seemed to be a ribald historical/literary adaptation turned into James Bond of the 19th century. In other words, a thriller with a lot of improbable fighting sequences and technology. The only difference is that instead of pen-sized lock pickers, Sherlock Holmes features odorless fuels and invisible numbing agents. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) also fights with his mind rather than his brawny Daniel Craig-like muscles. It’s pretty cool to see Holmes plan out his punches in his mind before he socks it to his opponents.

Sherlock Holmes also exemplifies the movie industry’s increasing reliance on CGI. Remember back in the day when historical films meant cool costumes (Pride and Prejudice, Marie Antoinette, Braveheart)? Now, historical films – especially those aimed at men – increasingly mean cool special effects (Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, 300). CGI is used well in Sherlock Holmes. The streets of London give off the right amount of gritty dampness. A half-built suspension bridge looms in several foreshadowing scenes before it’s featured in the final sequence.

Unfortunately, the special effects are the best parts of the movie. The story plot is a poor imitation of Dan Brown. Essentially, Lord Blackmore and his “secret society” (think, Freemasons), plot to take over England, the United States, and then the world. Holmes must stop him with his powerful deduction skills. Of course, we know that Holmes will be victorious, but we aren’t given the clues to follow along like we are in the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle short stories. Instead, there’s a reversal every five minutes to show explain otherwise inexplicable events. These get tiresome.

Holmes’ central problem is also supposed to be his lack of emotion. His practicality and logic get in the way of his feeling. So he can’t admit that he’s sad that Dr. Watson (Jude Law) is leaving him to get married, or that he has feelings for Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams). While Downey does a good job coming across as an eccentric genius, the script is too thin for him to explore any other feelings, leaving the movie as more of a CGI enhanced action flick than historical drama.