Sherlock Holmes (Guy Ritchie, 2009)

I finally saw Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes this weekend. I don't mind telling you I enjoyed it. I have always been a fan of Ritchie's. He takes some shit from the British press at times, but he makes a gangster drama. Sherlock Holmes lives up to his early works, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.

One thing I enjoyed about this film is that there is no time wasted telling us who Holmes, Watson, and Le Strade are. You are either supposed to have a general idea, or you can Wiki it on your iPhone. Just like a James Bond film, we don't need an origin story, and Ritchie skips it all. You do learn some things about the characters that you may not have know, or things that fit Ritchie's idea of the characters, but otherwise he cuts immediately to the chase.

Best part, perhaps, is the handling of Watson. I am not a Sherlock Holmes reader, but Watson is typically characterized as a bumbling oaf that Holmes has to enlighten. In this film Watson is a tough veteran of the former British Empire, and very sharp minded. Holmes needs him; why else would he keep him around?

The movie is a lot of fun; big fights, satanic cults, and enough explosions to even satisfy a Michael Bay fan should keep most viewers happy. It is also smart and well acted. Well worth the price of a rental and bag of microwave popcorn.