A Tale of Two Sherlocks

Iron Man and the Sky Captain vs. William Pitt and Tim Canterbury

Ah, Sherlock Holmes. Master detective, the ultimate sleuth, an analytical, emotionless man unlike any other, the ultimate and iconic creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This article is, mainly, about the two current depictions of him in film and television form, those being Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes film series (the original 2009 film and the upcoming sequel, A Game of Shadows), and Steven Moffat and and Mark Gatiss' contemporary BBC TV series Sherlock. In terms of the depictions of the titular character, I will not argue whether one of them is "the best Holmes ever", as the late Jeremy Brett, of the Granada TV series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes from 1984 to 1994, is unequivocally the best, period. Brett was the actor born to play the role, and it is unlikely anyone will ever surpass him. First up, the Ritchie films.

I need Irene Adler's pussy to power my Arc reactor.

The first film, 2009's aptly titled Sherlock Holmes, attempts (and mostly succeeds) to be a fresh new take on well-worn material. Combining elements of multiple Doyle stories and throwing a fresh new plot and antagonist into the mix, the film also sports a grand, Gothic visual style and strong, well-written characters played by well-cast actors. Out of all the roles, I'd say the best cast and acted was Jude Law as Watson. His version of the character is a younger, fitter, and stronger incarnation than those in past iterations, and he has a much more independent mindset as well. Unlike other versions, him and Holmes really seem like equals in terms of their friendship (as opposed to Holmes looking down to and condescending the intellectually inferior Watson, as in the past), and it makes for both a more humorous and emotional dynamic. In this movie, they really seem to need each other in their lives. However, this shouldn't discount the rest of this strong, strong cast. Rachel McAdams is good as Irene Adler, being just femme fatale enough to keep Holmes both enamored and on his toes with her. Mark Strong, as always, plays a very powerful and creepy villain as the occultist Lord Blackwood, his menace casting a shade over the whole movie. And finally, Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character, is.....not quite perfect. That's not to say he is bad (quite the contrary, he does the character justice and strives to bring something new to the table, despite his somewhat inconsistent accent); more that he just isn't quite the fit for the character. This incarnation would have benefited from a younger Holmes (in a Batman Begins vein), played by someone like, for example, James McAvoy. Watson is older than Holmes in most versions anyway, so he could've worked with Law quite well. His performance in the recent X-Men: First Class shows that he has that touch of charisma needed, along with the ability to play a strong, analytical mind. Nevertheless, Downey is strong, and earned his Golden Globe (though I'm not quite sure why it was for Musical/Comedy). The real issue with this film that keeps it from being great instead of just good is the style. Ritchie's laid-back action style doesn't mesh well with Doyle's world, as Holmes has never been an action hero. The film is full of action sequences that simply don't need to be there. The disguise, street chases, and analyzing are necessary for the character, but the action is simply not needed (such as the fighting ring scene). A Game of Shadows, the sequel due out this Christmas, sees the return of Ritchie, Downey, Law, and McAdams (briefly, I've heard), as well as newcomers Noomi Rapace (the star of the Swedish Millennium Trilogy films) as some Gypsy named Sim, and Mad Men's Jared Harris as Holmes devious and deadly arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty. It's rumored to be based on The Final Problem, the final Holmes story, so we'll se where that goes.

Big Ben = Holmes' wang when presented with a case

Sherlock, on the other hand, is quite a different beast. A 3-episode BBC television series developed by Doctor Who writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (with 3 more eps on the way this fall), this version sets Holmes and Watson in modern times, in 2010 London. Thus, Sherlock has a whole new set of quirks to go along with his old ones, such as only texting (never calling) with his cell phone, and lacking elementary knowledge of certain areas of study (such as astronomy), believing they cloud his brain from his detective work. This version tells the origin of Holmes and Watson, so their relationship develops at a slower and more natural pace than the film series, in which their association has been established for years. Thus, less emphasis is placed on them, and more on Holmes' obsession with his work. Many in modern days believe the man is crazy, and that he will inevitably snap one day and become one of the monsters that he currently pursues. Watson becomes the inside man on all of this, becoming Holmes' ally and medical expert, as well as the writer of his blog. This version introduces Moriarty very early as well, with his presence becoming known as of the end of the first episode and fully realized as of the end of the third. As for the cast, they are, for lack of a better word, outstanding, particularly Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes. He may very well be the best Holmes since the late Brett, bringing all the mannerisms along with the perfect tone and train of thought. As for Watson, our future Hobbt, Martin Freeman is great as usual, playing the perfect kind of straight man that allows us to see Holmes through his eyes. Other than that, no real characters to speak of, except for Andrew Scott's brief, awesome appearance as the completely psychotic Moriarty, who sets up a really interesting dynamic between him and Holmes for the upcoming season. To individually rank the episodes themselves, I thought that the first one, "A Study in Pink", was really great at setting up the series while telling a fun standalone story, which made the second, "The Blind Banker", so disappointing. "Banker" felt like a good episode in a long running hour-length series, but in a season of only three 90-minute episodes, it was too little content overstretched over the length. Also, it had no developments on the Moriarty story arc, and virtually ignored the events of the first episode. But then, the final episode, "The Great Game" (reminiscent of the Game of Shadows film subtitle), was utterly spectacular, beating out the film adaptation in my opinion, with a gripping story and finale, as well as an even greater cliffhanger. I am waiting with bated breath for the second season.

Overall, I would so far grade the TV series as being the better adaptation, but the movie has very different merits of its own. I would argue Cumberbatch over Downey, a tie between Freeman and Law, a win for the movie's supporting cast, and a win for the show on design.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows opens December 16.
Sherlock Season 2 premieres sometime in Fall 2011.

Do not fear me, Gypsy, all I want from you is your tears.

Star ratings:
Sherlock Holmes - 4/5 stars

Sherlock series-
"A Study in Pink" - 4.5/5 stars
"The Blind Banker" - 3/5 stars
"The Great Game" - 5/5 stars