Can Holmes solve the case?

Latest post is a film review for Sherlock Holmes enjoy.....

Sherlock Holmes is on a roll when he and his side kick Dr Watson finally bring down serial killer Lord Blackwood. In doing so they uncover some very dark magic. Holmes starts to take a downward turn and spends all his time in his room trying to invent new gadgets and weapons. He makes an appearance though when called as the last request by Blackwood to the prison where he is being held before his hanging. Blackwood tells Holmes that he is in over his head and there will be further killings before his task is complete and that he will not be able to stop them.

Holmes thinks it is all over when Blackwood is hung and buried but unbelievably he comes back from the dead and starts to wreak havoc over London. Holmes and Watson are back on the case and they soon discover the use of Black magic and dark times ahead. Can they work together to stop Blackwood and the predicted murders before it is too late and can London be saved?
The main reason for me wanting to watch this film is the two lead actors, I had expected it to be good juts on their strength but it still managed to surprise me. I have never seen anything to do with Sherlock Holmes and the story did surprise me. I was not expecting the use of black magic and so much darkness and for me it made for interesting and at times edge of the seat viewing.

The acting from all involved was faultless, Robert Downey Jr took the lead role of Sherlock Holmes and he was excellent. I loved the way he came across as eccentric yet he was so cleaver and experienced at his job. He showed great intelligence when I was least expecting it and this was shown in a great way. He did manage to add a lot of wit and humour to the role and this was needed as it took away the more seriousness of the character. I did have the feeling at times that he needed a good shave and bath but this did add to his eccentric and strange look. He worked very well with Jude Law who played Dr Watson and they had a fantastic on screen chemistry which seemed so natural. They bounced off each other with ease and seemed more like brothers than just friends. Jude Law was also superb in his role and came across as very different from Holmes. He was able to bring some depth to his character with the inclusion of the fiancé and this was good. He showed great intelligence and strength with the way he handled himself on screen. The British accent was natural from Jude as he is British and I also felt the accent Downy Jr gave Holmes was very good.
We has a lot of great supporting actors in the film and the one which really stood out for me was the role of Lord Blackwood, he was played by Mark Strong. He was powerful whenever on screen and he gave a constant air of mystery to his character. He looked evil and powerful all in one and there were times when he did actually make me jump when he would just appear on screen. We also had good roles from Rachael McAdam, Eddie Marsen, Hans Matheson and James Fox. They all played a variety of different characters and they did give the film a little bit of depth.

The film is a mystery and crime one but there was just the right mix of these elements, there were times when I thought the story was getting a little far fetched but Holmes or Watson would give us one of their witty one liners and this would bring the film back down to Earth and make it seem more real. The humour is not over the top and there certainly are no laugh out loud moments. I found the way Holmes spoke to and treated some of the police officers to be the best an funniest of the film.
The film is packed full of special effects and CGI which I found to all be of a very high standard. The fighting scenes were superb and looked so real, both me and hubby winced at some of the punches being delivered. There were a few scenes towards the end of the film when we did notice some added backdrops but we did not let this put us off as we had enjoyed the film so much we overlooked it. The props and sets which were used were also very good and very inking with the year and feel of the film. I thought the way London was shown back in the early 1900’s to be interesting but very dull, there was a distinct lack of brightness and colour. Everywhere seemed so dull and grey. The costumes were also very good and fitting for the film.

The music throughout the film really did help with the feel and emotions of the story. At times it was quite light and happy but then in the next scene it would become very dark and powerful. I really did enjoy the soundtrack and though a lot of effort and time must have gone into making it work as well as it did.
The DVD which we have does not have any bonus features but this is no loss to me as I am not a fan of them anyway. The DVD can be bought now for just £7 in Tesco and I think this is a very good price for such a great film. The running time is 123 minutes and the rate is a 12A, I agree with the rate due to the nature of the story and there is some violence.

I am more than happy to give this film the full 5 stars despite the few weak backdrops towards the end of the film. The acting is of a high standard and so to is the story. I would highly recommend this film to all who like a film with a good story which is packed full of action and wit.