Trailer for Guy Ritchie’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’

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.