"Dear me, Watson...."

Yes, I finally had the chance to watch one of the most anticipated films to come out at Christmas time last year:

 "Sherlock Holmes"

Starring Robert Downey Jr. in the title role, with Jude Law (Dr. Watson), Rachel McAdams (Irene Adler), and directed by Guy Ritchie.  Now, maybe it's just me but this film was a huge disappointment.  I knew going into it that it was more of an action film than the Sherlock Holmes stories should ever be considering it was directed by Mr. Ritchie ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", "Snatch" and the horrible "Swept Away") but it also turned out to be a mess of a story as well.  To tell you the truth, I can't really remember what the story was.  I got lost in the action scenes and the slow motion and the fact that Sherlock Holmes was being depicted as an emotional cripple who relied upon his intellect (said intellect being represented as a strange kind of mind-warp.)  Now, I do realize that Sherlock Holmes was an emotional cripple who relied upon his intellect, but he was not shallow or crass or simple as he was depicted here.  Robert Downey Jr. is always a kick to watch and he is very likable, but he did not give off the air of someone who was a genius.  Jude Law did a better job as the side-kick, but Rachel McAdams was totally miscast as the bad girl.  I didn't believe for a minute that she was conniving or devious.  She just seemed lost and a little bit of a brat.  

Why someone thought this screenplay would work is beyond me (and the fact that it took five people to write it ought to have given them a clue.)  It didn't work as a story, it didn't work as a film, the actors were all wrong and it was almost as if they were trying to make a comedy.  Maybe they should have gone all the way with that idea - it might have had a chance.