Sherlock Holmes (Warner Bros.)

[Brian in Mesa]

Casting:

Sherlock Holmes - Robert Downey, Jr.
Dr. John H. Watson - Jude Law
Blackwood - Mark Strong

Guy Ritchie is directing.

Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin are producing. Production begins early next month in London.

The film will incorporate the classic tales written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as the comic book "Sherlock Holmes."

 

[SuperSpck]

Hm. Good cast, good director.

Tell me it's releasing the same week as http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/f12/sherlock-holmes-columbia-pictures-119427.html

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Sherlock Holmes

Release Date: December 25, 2009
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Guy Ritchie
Screenwriter: Michael Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Guy Ritchie
Genre: Action, Adventure, Mystery
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material)
Website: Sherlock-Holmes-movie.com

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan, Kelly Reilly

Plot Summary: In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous characters, "Sherlock Holmes" sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country.

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[Brian in Mesa]

Saw a so-so looking preview before 2012.

Saw a much better preview before Ninja Assassin.

Looks...entertaining.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I was excited to see that RDJ is playing Holmes. I definitely want to see this.

 

[Gaddabout]

I'm at the point now I will watch anything Robert Downey Jr. is in. He's one of my favorites. I don't know if that's a guilty pleasure or not. He's quietly risen to iconic status anymore that he seems to be playing *himself* on camera and it's still enjoyable, like Jack Nicholson. In fact he may be my generation's Jack Nicholson.

 

[Shane]

I'm at the point now I will watch anything Robert Downey Jr. is in. He's one of my favorites. I don't know if that's a guilty pleasure or not. He's quietly risen to iconic status anymore that he seems to be playing *himself* on camera and it's still enjoyable, like Jack Nicholson. In fact he may be my generation's Jack Nicholson.

If he was playing "himself" he would be a self serving arrogant prick on screen.

Just a few weeks ago he flew into Vegas and his private plane parked about 30 yards away from the private terminal. They wouldn't allow the Limo to come onto the airport to pick him up. He was visibly pissed off and sent his agent into the terminal first to let Atlantic aviation know he was pissed. His exact words were "let the managers know that I'm not feeling the love"

30 yards for Christs sake? I swear these guys are nauseating and forget exactly where they came from in life.

 

[DemsMyBoys]

RDJ has his issues. I'm still not over his wandering over to a neighbor's house and falling asleep in a little girl's bed while he was stoned out of his mind. Imagine coming home to that. Oddly enough, Mel Gibson helped him get sober, clean up, and get back to work. But the guy is talented. Loved him in "Zodiac".

Love SH, so I'm looking forward to seeing this.

 

[Shane]

Just got back. Thoroughly enjoyable!

 

[AZZenny]

Hate to say it, but just 'eh!' 3.5 stars, maybe. Felt long, wasn't all that impressed with writing or directing. Much as I like RDJ, he just wasn't Sherlock -- he was Ironman circa the 1800s. Silly plot, too. I liked Jude Law as Watson.

 

[ajcardfan]

It seems like they are planning on making some future ones if this did well. I'd have to say I would've found it more enjoyable without the stop action filming of the action sequences. Other than that, I realized what i was going to get and enjoyed it for what it was.

If you are a real Sherlock Holmes fan, you have to realize this is a very different interpretation of him. Like AZ said, way more physical than mental compared to the stories. Not that many people under 40 have read them, and that's the audience who this character is targeted to IMO. My mother who is a Sherlock Holmes freak, and 65, will be bitterly disappointed if she sees this, so I warned her about it.

 

[Nasser22]

My mother is a big Holmes fan and was still able to enjoy it. Just be prepared for what it is. I really enjoyed it and I liked this new version of Holmes. The cast was great, and a movie is always good when you throw in Rachel McAdams

 

[Gaddabout]

It seems like they are planning on making some future ones if this did well. I'd have to say I would've found it more enjoyable without the stop action filming of the action sequences. Other than that, I realized what i was going to get and enjoyed it for what it was.

If you are a real Sherlock Holmes fan, you have to realize this is a very different interpretation of him. Like AZ said, way more physical than mental compared to the stories. Not that many people under 40 have read them, and that's the audience who this character is targeted to IMO. My mother who is a Sherlock Holmes freak, and 65, will be bitterly disappointed if she sees this, so I warned her about it.

In the books, Holmes is the ultimate renaissance man, both athletic and brilliant. The previous movies made Holmes to be a bit on the weak side, too professorial, which was not the Holmes from the books, either.

 

[O]

I just heard today they are in talks with Brad Pitt to play Moriarity (sp) in the sequel.
Given there is a history between Guy Ritchie and Pitt it wouldn't suprise me to see it happen.

 

[ajcardfan]

In the books, Holmes is the ultimate renaissance man, both athletic and brilliant. The previous movies made Holmes to be a bit on the weak side, too professorial, which was not the Holmes from the books, either.

I would agree with that. But, this was more than "athletic". It was like he was a really smart Rambo.

That said, I LIKED it, because I fully knew it was going to be over the top on the action and fighting for a character in Victorian England.

 

[AZZenny]

Oh, I didn't dislike it -- I was just disappointed because I thought this could be the ultimate Sherlock, not quite so asthenic and fussy -- I just never felt RDJ inhabited the role -- the way Jude Law was, for me, the best Watson yet.

I admit I have also been tainted by The Beekeeper's Apprentice and that series of post-Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock books, which I really like -- they do make him a more physically competent man, a master of disguise, linguist, connoisseur, and methodical scientist, but aging (this all takes place after ACD 'retired' him to the country to keep bees) and with very human flaws.

 

[Yuma]

There's an analysis of this Holmes versus other portrayals in Wired magazine, and this is arguably more realistic and authentic to the books according to the historian they hired to analyze it for Wired. She said the iconic hunting hat and curved pipe we all think about Holmes would not have been used by a Victorian living in London. The bowler hat and straight pipe were more accurate. Also the article mentions that the Holmes books mention all the time about Holmes' pugilistic prowess.

I am reading the Last Lion, about Churchill, and it is mentioned in there that Sherlock Holmes was a character in a short story in a magazine and was killed off in his initial story. That magazine story was so popular, the author had to "revive" Holmes in another magazine article.

 

[Gaddabout]

Also the article mentions that the Holmes books mention all the time about Holmes' pugilistic prowess.

Doyle was a jock and loved boxing, like so many Brits do. He referenced it in most of his work, including his short stories.

There's a lot of Doyle in the Sherlock Holmes character. Doyle was also a doctor and highly intelligent (you have to be to write such complex, intelligent characters). One of the best biographies I ever read. Fascinating man.

 

[Renz]

Thoroughly enjoyed it! Definitely recommend.

BTW, Brad Pitt as Moriarty? That would be awful casting, IMO.

 

[Gaddabout]

BTW, Brad Pitt as Moriarty? That would be awful casting, IMO.

Agreed. Pitt's a better actor than he's given credit for, but he is no Moriarty. Moriarty was based on a real-life mastermind criminal named Adam Worth and, if we're shooting for authenticity, should look like the picture below:

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Worth grew up in Cambridge, Mass., so I don't think Ritchie would have to apologize for casting an American actor. But Moriarty is very, very British, and every performance that has involved Moriarty has been performed by a British actor. I think it's hard for an American actor to pull off the kind of subtle villainy of the character. It's just a very British character.

My choice would be Stephen Fry, but Fry's not going to sell tickets to American teenagers. I'm guessing they'd make him young. Even Liam Neeson might be too old for the audience they're gearing this for, though Neeson definitely has the head for it. Daniel Day-Lewis would be brilliant, but again, they're trying to sell tickets and they're trying to appeal to Americans, so they'll have to find someone who's big in America.

 

[Milgod]

Agreed. Pitt's a better actor than he's given credit for, but he is no Moriarty. Moriarty was based on a real-life mastermind criminal named Adam Worth and, if we're shooting for authenticity, should look like the picture below:

You must be registered for see images attach

Worth grew up in Cambridge, Mass., so I don't think Ritchie would have to apologize for casting an American actor. But Moriarty is very, very British, and every performance that has involved Moriarty has been performed by a British actor. I think it's hard for an American actor to pull off the kind of subtle villainy of the character. It's just a very British character.

My choice would be Stephen Fry, but Fry's not going to sell tickets to American teenagers. I'm guessing they'd make him young. Even Liam Neeson might be too old for the audience they're gearing this for, though Neeson definitely has the head for it. Daniel Day-Lewis would be brilliant, but again, they're trying to sell tickets and they're trying to appeal to Americans, so they'll have to find someone who's big in America.

I don't actually think Pitt would be too bad.
As for Neeson a bigs thumbs up, I like him more every film I see him in.

However, Stephen Fry would be terrible in this role. I love the guy to bits but he would be too soft IMO.

Daniel Day-Lewis is pretty big everywhere so don't think that would be a problem.

After watching Eddie Izzard in a recent remake of Day of the Triffids I could see him being an evil mastermind.

 

[AZZenny]

Daniel Day-Lewis would sure as heck get my ass in the theater. Ralph Fiennes, possibly, too. I love Neeson, but he's too much of a teddy-bear.

 

[conraddobler]

I saw it, and for what it was it wasn't terrible, I like Robert Downey Jr.

Each one did well on their own with their own versions of Watson and Holmes but i just wasn't fond of how they interacted for one reason or the other.

The inevitable actioning it up thing was kind of over the top, the boxing I was ok with the fight scenes and explosions, eh, that was just obvious attempts to sell the movie.

You have to give the film credit for at least getting made, it has to be tough to walk all the lines a movie like this has to walk and still not produce something terrible, that was a feat in itself.

On the one hand you have folks who've read every book and aren't going to like liberties being taken and on the other hand you have the rest of the folks who just want to see a good movie and be entertained.

As an intial introduction and setup movie it did it's job, leaving room to do a more expansive job the next movie.

 

[conraddobler]

Agreed. Pitt's a better actor than he's given credit for, but he is no Moriarty. Moriarty was based on a real-life mastermind criminal named Adam Worth and, if we're shooting for authenticity, should look like the picture below:

You must be registered for see images attach

Worth grew up in Cambridge, Mass., so I don't think Ritchie would have to apologize for casting an American actor. But Moriarty is very, very British, and every performance that has involved Moriarty has been performed by a British actor. I think it's hard for an American actor to pull off the kind of subtle villainy of the character. It's just a very British character.

My choice would be Stephen Fry, but Fry's not going to sell tickets to American teenagers. I'm guessing they'd make him young. Even Liam Neeson might be too old for the audience they're gearing this for, though Neeson definitely has the head for it. Daniel Day-Lewis would be brilliant, but again, they're trying to sell tickets and they're trying to appeal to Americans, so they'll have to find someone who's big in America.

I just immediately picture John Malkovich in the role, it probably would bomb and that's why I don't cast movies for a living but just in terms of what I picture when reading the books he's the closest I can come to it.

 

[Gaddabout]

I just immediately picture John Malkovich in the role, it probably would bomb and that's why I don't cast movies for a living but just in terms of what I picture when reading the books he's the closest I can come to it.

I could live with that. He's the right kind of creepy.