Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic Sherlock Holmes, the British detective with extraordinary deductive powers in the hands of director Guy Ritchie will disappoint many, including me.
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12/18/09
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
68
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Reviews Counted:28
Fresh:19
Rotten:9
Average Rating:5.8/10
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating]
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Dec 25, 2009 Wide
Synopsis: In a dynamic new portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, “Sherlock Holmes” sends Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as... [More]
Starring: Robert Downey, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Eddie Marsan
Director: Guy Ritchie
Reviews for Sherlock Holmes
Guy Ritchie gets a lot right and a lot wrong in his supposed 'back to the source' Sherlock Holmes, which might be called 'the case of too much attitude'.
12/18/09
For with time running out on 2009, it's wonderful that one of the old year's last gifts should be a reminder of the superb possibilities of blockbuster cinema.
12/18/09
Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes is a riot. The director takes on a British institution with a swagger and a wink and the result is boisterous and unabashed fun.
12/18/09
[Guy Ritchie] has managed to steal hours of precious time belonging to cinemagoers everywhere for his latest silly escapade.
12/18/09
At two-hours plus, it goes on a bit but Ritchie appears in his element working from someone else's script and Downey Jr brings real verve to role previously known for its starch and conformity.
12/18/09
The plot is frequently incomprehensible, and Rachel McAdams’s poorly photographed femme fatale could be edited out of the picture without making much difference. Most of the time, I hadn’t a clue what she was doing, and she didn’t seem to either.
12/18/09
The movie is alive with cinematic magic, played out in an expertly-recreated capital full of grime, grubbiness and occasional grandeur.
12/18/09
The script here is a pretext for fatuous action pyrotechnics, misfiring comedy, the inevitable star from Central Crumpet Casting and CG jiggery-pokery evoking Ye Olde London. In short: Doc, Sh’lock and Every Scraped Barrel.
12/18/09
Ritchie is all at sea because he has no grasp of language as something comic, a problem intensified by the thin overlay of "period".
12/18/09
A handsome, entertaining romp of a film that they really should have called Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Pipes.
12/18/09
Sherlock Holmes is a surprisingly enjoyable action / adventure romp that deserves the sequel it's obviously hoping for.
12/18/09
If you can get over the idea of Sherlock Holmes as an action hero -- and if, indeed, you want to -- then there is something to enjoy about this flagrant makeover of fiction's first modern detective into a man of brawn as much as brain.
12/16/09
Top CriticThe plot? Wish you hadn't asked.
12/16/09
Top CriticDowney and Law are terrific together. For me, watching them act is the movie’s principal pleasure.
12/16/09
Top CriticInto Sherlock Holmes’ digitized 1891 London steps Downey, who peps up his performance with so much attitude that you wish the whole schlocky movie spinning around him would just calm down and take notice.
12/16/09
While Downey Jr provides his usual devil-may-care charm, this Sherlock Holmes ultimately feels like an excuse for high-energy action sequences rather than an attempt to breathe new life into a dusty literary icon.
12/16/09
The film is Ritchie’s most coherent bit of storytelling. The tone is light but not facetious and the pace would be hectic if there weren’t so many humdrum lacunae.
12/16/09
Ritchie’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ is effective as a caricatured comedy adventure and shows some fidelity to Arthur Conan Doyle, especially in Downey Jr’s portrayal of the eccentric but cold-hearted Holmes.
12/16/09
Ritchie, Downey Jr and Law have done just about as good a job at reimagining the great sleuth for the modern audiences as one could have hoped.
12/15/09
Latest News for Sherlock Holmes
December 18, 2009:
Friday Harvest: Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes, and more!
Happy Friday Harvest, a weekly round-up of the best pictures, posters, and videos that have become available for viewing/download on Rotten Tomatoes. Each section features the... More...
December 10, 2009:
Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
Robert Downey Jr. can't quite remember why he was on the phone to Guy Ritchie the first time Sherlock Holmes was mentioned, but it was to give him some advice about the trailer... More...
December 09, 2009:
On the Trail of the Cinematic Sherlock Holmes 
In anticipation of Sherlock Holmes' return to theaters on December 25, the venerable detective will experience a revival of sorts, both on the big screen and home video. More...
November 02, 2009:
Rescuing Sherlock Holmes from the Oversized Spyglass
We've grown accustomed to thinking of Sherlock Holmes as a stuffy sleuth with a timid sidekick -- but as producer Lionel Wigram tells the Los Angeles Times, that's out of step... More...
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