By | Published May 19, 2009

SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009)

Sherlock Holmes, the world’s most famous literary detective, has received a considerable jolt of testosterone and fighting prowess courtesy of producer Lionel Wigram and director Guy Ritchie. Thanks to Warner Bros. the first trailer for the upcoming feature film has been released depicting Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) as a bare-knuckle brawler and bartitsu-trained action hero. I don’t know what mystery fans and purists will think but SHERLOCK HOLMES looks like it’s going to be an entertaining period actioner with Downey in his best role since IRON MAN.

We covered the film’s use of a rare, real-world martial art known at batitsu in a previous article.

It’s quite clear that along with the use of this martial art and the general action-oriented tone of the film, the filmmakers are looking to take Holmes well beyond being a mere crime solver to turn him into a crime fighter. Given the popularity of comic book heroes at the box office it’s a smart way to repackage an old franchise for a new audience.

Sherlock Holmes has been portrayed by a variety of actors in film and television since 1905. One of the most iconic actors to take on the role was Basil Rathbone who portrayed Holmes in 13 British-produced films from 1939 to 1946. Interestingly, the films gradually shed their 19th-century roots and became contemporary propaganda films with Holmes matching wits with Nazis. Rathbone was also recognized as one of cinema’s greatest swordsmen up to that time for his excellent screen fighting performances in swashbucklers like CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE MARK OF ZORRO. Despite Rathbone’s fencing skills, his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes was more cerebral than visceral.

Downey’s more rugged and action-oriented interpretation of Sherlock Holmes is scheduled for release on December 25th.

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  • PangGo

    kool! looks great! cant wait to see it!

  • Raghukv

    Fantastic…Downey and Law should make a great pair fighting crime on screen..Wish it’ll be a huge success in India as well..

  • daisho2004

    Looks like this might very well be an interesting film….

  • Darrin Kemp

    Looks like Downey is doing the multiple franchise thing ala Christian Bale. Having said that this looks like the kind of block buster thats going to turn Guy Ritchey into a major big budget action film director.

  • Daniel Zelter

    Sort of boring. If they wanted to go that route, why not just make more Jack of All Trades episodes instead?

  • jiujitsu77

    i dunno….i mean, it’s no secret to anyone who has ever passionately read doyle’s stories that holmes got into his fair share of scraps, and that he was trained in baritsu, but i still prefer my homes dignified (albeit rather rough at times) and sporting a romanesque nose. Rathbone and Bruce, as well as Brett and Burke did marvelous jobs solidifying the chemistry between these two characters, but i am intrigued to see how downey jr and law do this one. im all for the action, i just hope it does not turn into a spike tv commercial.

    to me, sherlock holmes has always been a staple read in my family, so naturally i am biased as to how this one turns out

    that being said, my father still leaped out of his seat watching the trailer this afternoon

  • jiujitsu77

    lept, maybe?

    also….did anyone think hammer’s hound of the baskervilles was the best screen adaptation? for one single entry in the series, i think it may could have been, despite the great body of work the others had with the characters. i love me some peter cushing

  • lEE

    I’d go see it.

  • http://www.myspace.com/huewilly Huewilly

    Looks good! I’m in!