Sherlock Holmes (2009) Review

On my flight back from Malaysia, the last film that I decided to watch was Sherlock Holmes, I have seen this film a few times and was looking forward to seeing it again so is here my review for the film. The premise of the film sees Sherlock Holmes attempt to stop a sinister plot from destroying London at its core. 

Main Character

Robert Downey Jr plays the titular character and he is fantastic in the role. You really see his intelligence and the way his mind works and I thought Downey really nailed the feel of an investigator that Holmes clearly is. It is hard to take your eyes off of him on screen and that is great to see in this film. 

Supporting Characters

Jude Law plays Doctor Watson and he is really great too. The chemistry between him and Downey is off the charts and they just blend incredibly well and it is one of the real driving forces of the film and his performance drives that. 

Rachel McAdams plays Irene Adler and she is a lot of fun here. She is a very quick witted character and she also had great chemistry with Downey. The inclusion of her character is mainly to set up the sequel but she is fun to watch. 

Mark Strong plays the villain Lord Blackwood and though the character isn't particularly interesting Strong does enough to deliver a fun performance and makes him the appropriate adversary for Holmes in this film. 

Kelly Reilly plays Mary Morstan who is Watson's Fiancé and even though she isn't in the film a huge amount but she is a fun addition and the constant arguing with Holmes is pretty entertaining. 

Story

The story is really interesting, it is a genuine mystery and watching Holmes and Watson try to figure it out with all the twists and turns is interesting. There is also clearly a development in their partnership and that grows as the film progresses, the villains motivation isn't the best but the way the film explains it makes it sound really cool and interesting. 

Script

The script has some really quick and charming dialogue. The characters interact really well and the dialogue makes them more interesting. Though I will say that this film does fall short on its dramatic moments and dialogue, I never felt fear for the characters or really care about them being in peril even though the film does try. 

Style

I really liked the visual style of this film, old school London looks really great and it just feels like a world that director Guy Ritchie would create and it very much fit this interpretation of Sherlock Holmes. The action scenes were also really good, they use some unique techniques to explain the action and I really liked it. 

Overall

Overall, Sherlock Holmes is a fantastic film that is a really fun watch. The cast do a great job and I loved the investigative nature of the film. Definitely give this film a go and I am pretty sure you will really enjoy it like I do.

Rating - 9/10

The Irregulars Season 1 (2021) Review

It has taken me a bit longer then I expected but I finished the show The Irregulars and here is my review for it. The premise of the show is set in Victorian London and sees a group of teenagers have to work for Holmes and Watson to stop paranormal threats. 

Main Character

There is a group of teenagers but the main two that are focused on are sisters Bea played by Thaddea Graham & Jessie played by Darci Shaw. They are okay together, there were certain times that the two of them seemed to show genuine care and affection for each other but they don't last long enough. The show forces weak conflict between the two of them and I didn't really care about either of there individual plots or characters and that is obviously a big issue. 

Supporting Characters

The rest of the teenage group do nothing for me, you've got Spike the comedy relief, Billy the tough guy and Leo the odd one out. There characters are cliché and the actors are not good enough in their roles to make you care or interested. Billy and Leo have pretty big side plots but they are just not interesting enough and the biggest criticism is that I never felt like these characters truly cared about each other and were only together because this is a TV show. Royce Pierreson plays Watson and he gets more screen time then Holmes and he is functional, but this is a big chance wasted in my opinion. They try and make Watson more mysterious and dark and that could have worked but the script isn't good enough to deliver on these ideas. Henry Lloyd-Hughes plays Sherlock Holmes and honestly I hated this interpretation of the character, I know we have seen a few Holmes on the screen but this one doesn't work. He lacks charm, charisma and just intelligence all what I expect from the character and this drugged out loser is far from what I wanted. There are some decent actors like Clarke Peters and Rory McCann but their roles are quite weak and don't play into the story enough. 

Story 

The story is all over the place and the issue is that it plays a bit like a show that is a weekly show. For the first half of the season it is very much a case of the week type of show with the group investigating different monsters. But with the whole season dropping at once makes it feels so repetitive and they cases aren't that interesting. The overall plot doesn't work either with a lack of heart or emotion to it and the finale doesn't hit the levels that it should. 

Script 

The script isn't very good either. The drama doesn't do enough to make you care about the majority of the characters and that is the biggest killer for the show. The humour is forced and not funny which makes it awkward and the show just lacks depth and intrigue. 

Style

The style of the show has some decent backdrops and Victorian London does look pretty good and there are some fun action set pieces. But the show is just boring, it is slowly paced and that is a large reason why it took me so long to finish it. There could have been 6 episodes and the show would have been a bit better as there may have been less wasted side plots. 

Overall

Overall, The Irregulars is a bad show. It lacks any intrigue and uniqueness to make it stand out from the crowd with a cast that don't offer much. I can't see a huge future for this show and I would say avoid this show as there are very few redeeming qualities. 

Rating - 2/10 

Enola Holmes (2020) Review

So a few months ago we heard that this film was coming to Netflix and today was that day and here is my review for Enola Holmes. The premise of the film sees Sherlock Holmes teen sister have to go on her own investigation when her mum goes missing. 

Main Character

Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things fame plays Enola Holmes and honestly I thought she was the best part of this film. She is really charming, charismatic and fun to watch, she actually has a nice arc throughout the film and she is just a good lead character. You see that she has been poorly treated and it makes you care about her and want to see her one up her brothers as they annoy her throughout the film and treat her poorly. If we get more of these films I think she has a chance to really build an interesting character here. 

Supporting Characters

Sam Claflin plays her older brother called Mycroft and I thought he did a decent job, yes his character is pretty generic and you know he is going to be an antagonist but he does a good job in the role and seems to be enjoying himself here in the role. Now Henry Cavill is a great actor and he plays Sherlock Holmes here and I just thought it wasn't the right fit, it's not that he is bad, it is just that he doesn't fit the character and it feels like he is miscast and his character is pretty poorly written, especially, with how he ends up. Helena Bonham Carter plays her mother and she doesn't do much in this film, it just seems that she is a terrible mother and it makes you wonder if Enola would be better without her. Also there is this love interest here and it didn't work, I just wish this film didn't have a love interest as tgis felt like a forced part of the film. 

Story

The story when it comes to Enola is well done. her character is interesting and the development is there. You see how smart and capable she is and it allows you to take her seriously as a protagonist. But then the rest of the plot happens, her relationship with her brothers isn't explored enough, the search for her mother is forgotten about and then there is this dull political story involving the love interest and none of it is interesting. The film tries to have twists and turns but they make no sense and you are literally given no reason to care about any of it, apart from Enola herself. 

Script

The script is fine, with Enola herself having some good dialogue that just makes her very likeable, also I liked how she worked out the clues and I thought that was pretty well written. But then the drama isn't there and it honestly feels like they were writing 4 films in one, the script is too unfocused and makes it difficult to focus and get invested into anything. 

Style

The style of the film is entertaining, Enola does her best Deadpool impression by breaking the fourth wall alot here and I actually thought it worked, you don't see it much and I liked its usage here, even though it is never quite explained why she does it. But the pacing of the film is poor and as I mentioned the film is pretty unfocused which leads the ending to feel rushed and wonder what has happened. 

Overall

Overall, this is a pretty average film, but surprisingly I actually want to see a sequel. I like the character of Enola Holmes and I think with a more focused film the sequel could be much better. But this film isn't really worth your time unless you are bored and have a few hours spare. 

Rating - 5/10