Detective Story

I can't say that I've ever really been hugely into detective fiction. Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle have never really pushed my buttons. I did like The Great Mouse Detective, Disney's rodent version of Sherlock (maybe that is where my irrational phobia of rats comes from.... Damn Rattikin). And when I was in London town, I did do a little bit of sniffing around Baker Street tube station with its Sherlock silhouettes, complete with pipe and flappy hat.

Those silhouettes don't really look like Robert Downey Jr though.

An edition of Empire magazine when I was travelling last year hinted at 2 different feature versions of Sherlock Holmes feature films that were simultaneously in production. But the one that made me just a little excited was the Guy Ritchie one. He does clever action very well. Lock Stock was a phenemenal film - the multistreamed narrative, interwoven with coincidence and cockney rhyming slang. The unfortunately titled Snatch showed Brad Pitt to have a wicked sense of humour about himself, and the Pikeys and pigs held this film together.

Let us not mention his other films, 'cause Ritchie kinda dropped the ball on those ones... Including Rocknrolla, his supposed 'comeback' film. Oops, I wasn't going to mention it!

But he's done a fantastic job with this Sherlock Holmes. The action is fast and witty. Downey Jr is brilliant - and plays Sherlock as autistic, which makes vast amouts of sense really. The hyper-observant detective is multi-talented; science, boxing, weapons modification. Plus he is totally hot. His traditional sidekick, Dr Watson (Jude Law), is much less insipid that I usually imagine him to be. In fact, Sherlock tells the good doctor that the violence he brings is very useful.

The pair from Baker Street bust up a serial killer with dark, mystical, ritualistic overtones. The hints of modern politics and terrorism, the vague references to Masonic cults and the vaguaries of vigilante crime fighting make the Victorian tale a little more relevant than just a period/action flick might otherwise be.

Rachel McAdams is mostly kickarse as Irene Adler. She does some great technical stuff, and some wicked criminal stuff. But as the only female character in here, she does occasionally get demoted to the Damsel In Distress. To the film's detriment. But how else are they going to convey Sherlock's emotional connection to her than from saving her from some impeding destruction (again with the pigs, Mr Ritchie?) than swooping in to save her...? Surely there is NO other way to convey deep and irrational affection from an otherwise rational being like Sherlock than an act of daring heroism.

Do not see this film from the front row. Yes, Boxing Day is the biggest cinema going day in Australia. And yes, the first session we wanted to see was sold out, so we bought tickets early for another session - but we still ended up being late enough to have to sit in the eye-bleed section. And as per Guy-Ritchie-usual, there is a lot of speedy camera work. At the risk of sounding a little bit like David Stratton, I did feel a little sea sick.

Ritchie has done a great job. Downey Jr continues to impress. A great Boxing Day flick, for literally, all the family.