Sherlock Holmes is a crime action adventure thriller film adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional character of the same name. Directed by Guy Ritchie, the movie stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Sherlock Holmes.
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in "Sherlock Holmes"
In the 19th century, Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) and his assistant, Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) manages to stop a human sacrifice ritual led by Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) just in time. After three months, during Blackwood’s execution day, Blackwood requests Holmes’ presence. Blackwood assures Holmes there will be at least three more deaths even after his execution.
Holmes’ former love interest, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), the only person who has managed to outwit him enters the picture by offering Holmes money to pursue a case of a missing person named Reardon.
Blackwood has mysteriously risen from the dead three days after his execution. His tomb is found shattered from the inside out with the corpse of Reardon in Blackwood’s coffin. Holmes and Watson is led to a slaughterhouse and manage to rescue Adler in the process. Through clues and superb perception, the trio succeeds in finding Blackwood’s final target – the English Parliament to find that Blackwood has set up a machine to kill all the Lords who do not agree to join him within the Parliament with poisons, having given those who are with him the antidote. Holmes and his partners manage to stop that and confronts Blackwood. Blackwood falls after a brawl with Holmes and is hanged to death by the chains. Adler reveals to Holmes that the mysterious caped man is Professor Moriarty and warns Holmes about it. Holmes explains to Watson how Blackwood managed to fake his death using science rather than black magic. The film ends with Holmes suspecting Moriarty behind a new murder case.
Overall, Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes combines brawn with brains rather than using wits alone. Six-packed Sherlock Holmes is entertaining to watch as he is not only brilliant but he can pack a punch. It’s like watching Sherlock Holmes in Fight Club and I certainly don’t mind watching a sequel.
Robin Hood is an action film of an archer in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion who fights against the Norman invaders and becomes the legendary hero known as Robin Hood. Starring Russell Crowe, Mark Strong, Cate Blanchett, Robin Hood opens on May 14, 2010.
Last weekend of the year was its best ever for Hollywood as James Cameron’s 3-D “Avatar” toppled “Sherlock Holmes” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” to record $278 million at the domestic box office compared to July 2008 weekend when “The Dark Knight” led a film lineup that took $260.8 million in ticket sales.
“Avatar” recorded $75 million in ticket sales for a total of $212.3 million in domestic ticket sales. The worldwide gross reached $617.3 million in just 10 days making it very likely to become the fourth film in history to reach $1 billion worldwide.
