Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Sherlock Holmes

I had some doubts about Sherlock Holmes. The casting seemed solid, as did the design work, but the trailers left me a bit...confused. Were they turning Holmes into an action hero? Was director Guy Ritchie forcing Holmes into his usual British crime template (i.e. Ritchie's Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels)? Was this another summer blockbuster experiment that was doomed for mediocrity?

Somewhat surprisingly, I have to say that I was pretty impressed with what this confusing team brought to the table. Overall, Sherlock Holmes is a bit hit-or-miss, but it hits far more often.

A new case is afoot. A recently executed villain named Lord Blackwater (Mark Strong) has been seen lurking about London and some very important people are turning up dead. The case is of particular interest to Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Watson (Jude Law) because they were the duo that captured Blackwater to begin with. While toiling away on the case, Holmes also has to contend with an old lover/enemy/con artist Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) who seems to be butting in on this case a bit too much.

I want to start the review by defending Sherlock Holmes against some unfair criticism. A lot of people have complained about changes that have been made to the characters to try and make them cooler for the new generation. I will admit, there is some of that going on, but not as much as people might think. Robert Downey Jr. is not the Sherlock Holmes we've come to know and love in popular culture, the rude and brilliant gentleman with the pipe and the deerstalker hat. But that image does not necessarily 100% correspond with the books, either. If I had to guess, I would say this image began with Basil Rathbone's portrayal in the 1930s, though I am not sure about that. But I do know that the cliche image is not from the original stories. Also, Holmes in the book may not be an action hero, but he sure knows how to fight. He practices martial arts and sometimes participates in matches. And Dr. Watson is not the cute, cuddly and slightly rotund sidekick who waddles around from case to case. On the contrary, he is a war hero and knows how to kick some butt.

But to be honest, accuracy shouldn't be that big of a deal anyway. Anyone expecting Hollywood to release a version that is 100% accurate to the books in slow-paced, Masterpiece Theatre-style production were deluding themselves. This is Hollywood Holmes, a roller coaster popcorn flick and for the most part, it really is an enjoyable ride. Director Guy Ritchie delivers an exciting film, with great technical prowess and top notch production design. Robert Downey, Jr. is terrific as Holmes, delivering a careful medley of wit, brilliance, cruelty and charisma. Jude Law is fantastic as Watson, a man who is attracted to these crazy cases despite his better judgement. The two have superb chemistry and the film does a fine job of juxtaposing Holmes' brilliant messiness with Watson's prim and proper military orderliness. The best moments of the film are easily when Holmes and Watson are riffing off each other; forget about the story. It's not really needed!

Especially since the story itself is a bit of a weakness. While Mark Strong is excellent as always, I found his master plan to be a bit hokey and the climax of the film definitely goes too far over the top. McAdams, meanwhile, is just an okay female lead. She handles the charm and the action well enough, but I had trouble believing her as the greatest con artist of all time. She needed a bit more edge.

I do also want to make a special mention of the score. I am generally tired of composer Hans Zimmer. His music and that of his collaborators has become cookie cutter and one size fits all, no matter what the genre. And I am tired of hearing The Rock and Crimson Tide when I am trying to watch a movie about gladiators or pirates. But what is most frustrating is that when Zimmer wants to be, he is not just good, he's REALLY good. And the biggest surprise about Sherlock Holmes is that the Zimmer I like came to play. This is an awkward, quirky, and lively score, and it certainly features his best main theme in a decade. Go Zimmer! This is the composer I want working more often.

Tangent over. All in all, Sherlock Holmes is a flawed but entertaining film. And it was a blockbuster film that for once deserved its massive box office because it delivered sharp and energetic entertainment. Despite its problems, I am excited to see where the franchise goes.

BEST LINE:

Mrs. Hudson: "Oh, he's killed the dog. Again."

MVP:

I can say with confidence that Jude Law is the best Watson I have ever seen. He blows other Watsons out of the water. But ultimately, this movie succeeds or fails on the back of Robert Downey, Jr. He once again finds a way to make an unappealing character (let's face it, Holmes is a bit of a tool) and makes him sympathetic and entertaining. If Downey's quirkiness had not worked, then the whole movie would have fallen apart. So ultimately, the decision is an easy one. The MVP must go to Robert Downey, Jr.

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Art Direction, Best Original Score

TRIVIA:

When Robert Downey, Jr. was researching the role, he didn't just read the original stories. He also went straight to the 1980s series to study the late Jeremy Brett, generally considered the best Holmes in cinematic history.

Tangled

Tangled

Well, I have to admit, Tangled was a surprise. I was not expecting much; it looked like every other Disney princess tale, complete with songs and cute animal friends. I should have been rolling my eyes throughout this whole movie, but I actually found myself falling for Tangled's spell.

An adaptation of the fairy tale story of Rapunzel, Tangled is about a princess with magic hair who was kidnapped when she was a baby. Now a teenager, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) lives her life under the dominating shadow of her evil 'mother' (i.e. kidnapper), played with devious relish by Donna Murphy.

Rapunzel sees a chance to escape when a thief named Flynn Ryder (Chuck's Zachary Levi) sneaks into the tower with an invaluable treasure he has stolen from the palace. Rapunzel knocks him out, hides the treasure, and makes a deal. Flynn will guide her in the outside world so she can see a lantern festival at the castle, and then she will return the treasure. Reluctantly, he agrees. Complications ensue, bad guys chase our heroes, young love blossoms, the princess is restored to her rightful place, blah blah blah. We've seen it all before and this story should be just as stale as my description. But something about the way Tangled goes about its storytelling is very impressive. Maybe its the influence of Pixar's Michael Lassiter over at Disney Animation, but Tangled seems fresh, lively and genuinely exciting.

First off, the voice casting is right on. Zachary Levi shows mountains of charm as Flynn Ryder, delivering a roguish wit that he never gets to display in Chuck. It must have been fun for him to break away from that typecasting and he approaches the role with gusto. Mandy Moore also does a great job, giving Rapunzel the perfect blend of determination and naivete, and never going too far in either direction. The animation is beautiful, the humor actually really works for both kids and adults, and the action is genuinely exciting.

If there is a weak link in Tangled, it is the songs. Alan Menkin's score is quite good, but I think Disney has to accept that the lofty days of the Disney songs are over. There has not been a good song since 'Reflections' in Mulan, and that was over a decade ago. Seriously, Disney, stop the songs! It just drags the movie down!

In general, Tangled also got me thinking about how we view Disney, in general. We hear Disney and we all roll our eyes. They have a formula, they are annoying, and we don't like them. But I think this is some sort of 'we hate them because they are successful' type of thing, and of course a reaction to their all-encompassing, over-the-top marketing/empire building. But people sometimes take their distaste with Disney's empire and project it onto their films, which isn't really fair because when I think of Disney's canon, they have made WAY more good movies than bad. Seriously, think about all those Disney films that were great - Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Robin Hood, Rescuers, Great Mouse Detective, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, Mulan...are there bad movies, yes, of course. Brother Bear and Home on the Range made my eyeballs churn. But you gotta admit, there are a whole lot of classics in this canon. Tangled reminded me that when Disney is firing on all cylinders, they put out some of the best entertainment out there. I definitely suggest you check it out.

MVP: This one is actually easy for me. There are a lot of people after Flynn Ryder, including the evil thugs he betrayed and the palace guards he stole from. And also Maximus, the Guard Captain's horse. This horse is like the frikin' Terminator. He just will not stop. Even after the guard gives up, this horse just keeps on plowing ahead, like a stubborn bloodhound, relentless in his righteous fury! I've never quite seen an animal character like this in a Disney film. The animals are always too busy being cute and supportive. But not Maximus. He just keeps on coming, like the faceless posse in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. And he won't stop until Flynn is caught, dead or alive.

SPOILER: What seals the deal is when Maximus has a sword fight with Flynn on the edge of a cliff. Yeah, you read that right right. The horse picks up a sword in his mouth and duels with Flynn. That's pretty awesome and probably the biggest laugh in the movie. SPOILER OVER.

Admittedly, the character softens in the last act of the film. It was inevitable and eventually he sort of returns to the roll of most supportive Disney critters. But for much of Tangled's screen time, Maximus' awesomeness dominates.

BEST LINE:

Hook Hand Thug: "Go. Live your dream."

Flynn: "I will."

Hook Hand Thug: "Your dream stinks. I was talking to her."

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Song ("I See The Light") I guess the Academy liked the songs more than I did...

TRIVIA: After the box office disappointment of The Princess and the Frog, Disney decided to change the original title of this movie, which was simply Rapunzel. They figured a name like Tangled would attract more little boys and not just girls.