The Movie
Director Guy Ritchie's first foray into big-budget "event" pictures, Sherlock Holmes casts American golden boy Robert Downey Jr. as the legendary British sleuth, complete with a wicked accent. The title, which tellingly lacks any "and the Alabaster Aardvark"-type extension, clues us in that this adventure is more about the character than the case at hand, unusual in Holmes' long history. Unlike the conjecture of films like The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes or Young Sherlock Holmes, this latest study claims to tap into his genuine, almost swashbuckling roots, as originally intended by creator Arthur Conan Doyle. No comment from Sir Arthur at press time.
Leaving behind the modern crime dramedies for which he's become best-known, Ritchie does manage to bring his trademark edge and wit as Holmes digs deeply into London's underbelly during his current investigation. We see soon enough how his genius and dogged pursuit of the truth isolate him from ordinary people, save for his dear Doctor Watson (Jude Law), whom we suspect might be more than just a friend.
This time out, an evil Lord has been ritually murdering innocent citizens, but after he has been caught and hung he's apparently returned from the grave with a plan for ruthless domination that stretches all the way across the pond. I agree with Joe Lozito's review of Sherlock Holmes wherein he suggests that the movie is too long, as the somewhat indulgent chattiness pushes it past two hours, unnecessary considering the actual meat of the story.
The Picture
The movie was shot on a combination of film and digital media, with a fair amount of evident grain and blacks that are deep and inky, but not always sufficiently detailed. I also noted noise in shadowy/out-of-focus areas of the 1.78:1 frame, and although the cinematography has a deliberately dingy appearance with a limited palette, which is appropriate to the time and place and interesting to look at, overall the image is a tad too soft to show off the true potential of Blu-ray.
The Sound
The rear channels of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track are wonderfully alive with the bustling streets of London, but also plenty of discrete effects from the very first moment and the approach of galloping horses in the left rear. Jolty gunshots prevent the audience from becoming too complacent, with ample bass emphasis. There also ambitious, stylized sequences of sound design, as when the bad guy's voice eerily swirls from speaker to speaker to speaker, and later the disparate voices inside Holmes' head, plus a terrific slow-motion explosion with lots of flying debris.
The Extras
Sherlock Holmes boasts another exclusive Warner Bros. "Maximum Movie Mode" experience, beyond an audio commentary with on-screen walk-ons during the movie by our host, Guy Ritchie, plus breakaway videos, picture-in-picture, comparisons to the original storyboards and more. Guy's occasional brief pauses add about three minutes to the running time. The eight "Focus Points" featurettes are also viewable separately, 31 minutes total, in high definition. "Sherlock Homes Reinvented" is a standalone, general overview of the film, 14 minutes, also HD. This Blu-ray also supports BD-Live, with a live online Robert Downey Jr. chat scheduled for Thursday, April 1.
Disc Two is a DVD combo disc of the movie sans any extras, plus a Digital Copy transferable via the computer for iTunes and Windows Media.
Final Thoughts
With a sequel already announced, I suspect that Sherlock Holmes might do for the great detective what Casino Royale did for James Bond: reintroduce and reinvigorate a beloved character for a new generation, with a modern spectacle well-suited for the audio and extras of Blu-ray.
Product Details
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