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.

The Eagle

The Eagle

When The Eagle was first announced, it seemed like an oddity to me. Now, I love a good ol' Roman adventure. Everyone knows that if a movie has a sword fight in it, I'll make sure to watch it at some point.  But this one was a bit odd. It is an adventure written and directed by the team behind the Oscar-winning, intense drama Last King of Scotland, and starring Channing Tatum - the pretty boy dude from G.I.Joe, Dear John, and the dance flick Step Up. Tatum is about as modern day America as you can get. The very image of him strutting around in legionary armor was offputting. But my skepticism didn't matter. It was a sword movie. I was going to see it.

Based on the popular novel, "The Eagle of the Ninth," The Eagle is about Marcus Aquila, the new commander of a frontier post in Britain. He volunteered to serve in Britain, generally considered the edge of civilization and a bit of a dump by his colleagues. It seems that twenty years before, his father led the Ninth Legion out into the barren northlands (Scotland) and was massacred. But more important to Roman prestige than the casualties is that the legionary eagle, the symbol of the might and honor of Rome, was captured. This is a great shame that stains not only the legion, but its commander's children - Aquila has come to Britain to reclaim his family's honor. Unfortunately, before he gets a chance, Aquila is wounded in battle. So I guess there will be no reclaiming any honor for him...bummer.

Lucky for him, rumors begin to surface that the Ninth's Eagle has been seen in the far north. Aquila, accompanied only by his British slave, Esca (Jamie Bell) travels deep into wild and bleak enemy territory to recover it and his family's honor.

The first surprise is that The Eagle is actually pretty good! It's not amazing, but it is a fun, little adventure film, with good characters, some exciting fight scenes and a neat premise. Director Peter MacDonald seems to be going out of his way to make a western, albeit one that takes place in ancient Britain. All the cliches from the classic Hollywood western are here and used to good effect - the frontier fort in the bleak wilderness, the disciplined, occupying army representing "civilization" and the "unruly" native population, who of course have a really good reasons for not liking the U.S. Cavalry - oops, I mean the Roman Army. For much of the run-time, The Eagle tries to be one of those John Ford cavalry films from the 1940s, especially in its superb use of the natural British landscape. Only in this case, instead of John Wayne, we have Channing Tatum.

And Tatum is actually the film's second surprise. He not only holds his own, he's actually really good. The script lets him down at times, filling him with a few silly lines of bravado, honor and fury that don't quite ring true, but the fault is not Tatum's. For the most part, he is appropriately heroic and looks perfectly at home in the period sets and costumes, even in the legionary armor. In terms of the other actors, Jamie Bell is terrific as the slave Esca, and the other actors are solid enough to get the job done. There are a few exceptions. Donald Sutherland, as Aquila's uncle, just sticks out like a sore thumb, looking out of place and uncomfortable. In terms of the performances, the movie also commits one huge folly - the script manages to take an actor who is effortlessly interesting, Mark Strong (Robin Hood), and make him boring. I blame the script for letting down this great actor in what should have been a cool and empathetic role.

Overall, the movie also gets a bit flaky in the end, with miraculous recoveries and a badly edited climactic battle. But up to that point, this is a solid movie and a lot better than I expected. If you like old school adventure films, sword movies or Westerns, since that really is what The Eagle is, than I definitely suggest you check it out. 

MVP: The dancing kid Billy Elliot is now all grown up and he is pretty badass. Jamie Bell is the easy MVP of The Eagle. He has a difficult role - why would Esca, a British slave whose whole family has been brutally murdered by the Romans so willingly help out his enemy? There is no promise of freedom or reward. He just gives his word that he will help Aquila find the Eagle. I would normally question this, but Bell sells it. His facial expressions magnificently capture his conflicting emotions - both his hatred and respect for the Romans, and both his disdain and admiration for Aquila. Plus, he shares a good chemistry with Tatum. I wouldn't mind seeing the two of them on a further adventure somewhere down the road. Congrats, Jamie Bell, the MVP is yours!

TRIVIA: Aquila is Latin for "eagle."

BEST LINE: Aquila: "The Eagle is not a piece of medal. The Eagle is Rome."

Robin Hood (2010)

Robin Hood

To be fair, I was not expecting much from the new Robin Hood. Constant delays and continuous script rewrites were among the rumors coming down the pipeline. But what concerned me more was that every time word came of a script rewrite, the entire concept of the film sounded different. First, it was supposed to be the Robin Hood story from the Sheriff of Nottingham's point-of-view, then it was supposed to be some sort of Scarlet Pimpernel situation where Robin Hood and the Sheriff were the same person, and then it turned into this "realistic" prequel that the Sheriff is hardly even in. To me this just sounded like director Ridley Scott wasn't sure what story he wanted to tell. And that is a bad sign.

So it is no surprise that the story of how lowly English archer Robin Longstride became a national hero and then infamous outlaw is deeply flawed at the conceptual level. This is a movie in search of itself.

Which is not to say it is all bad. There is too much talent involved, and they strive valiantly to make the film work. The acting along the board is terrific. Russell Crowe is brooding, and a bit in Gladiator mode, but he carries the film admirably on his shoulders. He isn't Errol Flynn, but he certainly isn't Kevin Costner, either. And Crowe and Blanchett, as Maid Marian, have an easy and realistic chemistry. Mark Strong as the villainous Godfrey, Oscar Isaac as King John, and William Hurt as loyal English baron William Marshall, all deliver terrific performances. The art direction and cinematography are all great; once again Ridley Scott's greatest success is in creating another world that is entirely believeable and not 'Hollywood.'

So it really is a shame that the film does not gel together. The first 30 minutes is all over the place, terribly edited and paced. And then the moment at the end where (not a big spoiler here) Robin Hood actually becomes an outlaw seems entirely arbitrary and silly. Inbetween, there are a legion of half formed ideas, from the weird wild children living in the woods who look like extras from Zardoz to a major plot point about a certain character's father that appears for five minutes, says its really important, and then vanishes without any other mention.

It is possible that there is a director's cut lurking out there, just like Ridley Scott's previous epic Kingdom of Heaven. With the extra footage, that film went from mediocre to superb. But I don't know if the extra footage would help Robin Hood. The problems run too deep. Like I said in the beginning, I wasn't expecting much from the film. And unfortunately, I got exactly what I expected...

MVP: I have to give it to the production designers, art directors, and costume team. From the castles to the armor to the look and feel of the villages, this is a world that lives and breaths and feels real. Kudos.

BEST LINE: Can I pick a line so bad it's good? "I declare him to be an outLAWWWWWW!!!!!"

TRIVIA: Russell Crowe at 45 is the oldest actor to play Robin Hood. Which surprises me because Connery looked pretty darn old in Robin and Marion.