Sherlock Holmes review by DC Tauntaun

Being a fan of shows that solve mysteries from Psych, to Monk, the Night Stalker, to Perry Mason, and Scooby Doo I had high hopes for this one. I left with a collective sigh of relief over a mystery well done. From start to finish the clues never end as they methodically lay them out to be solved by the amazing "super" sleuth. Robert Downey Jr. pulled it off as a formidable Holmes. It is obvious they were going for the greatest detective of all time in the way he plays it, but at the same time, disturbed and with a few screws loose. The cinematography and costumes worked well to build the time period. If I were to give it a knock, and by no means a major one, it would be that they spend so much time solving clues that it doesn't have the traditional build up of suspense that often comes with this type of film. Sure there is action, and plenty of stuff going on, but it's as if with each clue discovered, we're just being reminded of how great Holmes is. There is never really any doubt he would solve the case. I do give it credit that it isn't all predictable in the first few moments. It's strength is in how they kept revealing the puzzle, yet made sure they changed it up enough to leave another thread to grapple with. The storyline is dark and where the first half is quick in it's pace, the dark angle snags the story for a bit before it hits the final 30 minutes of wrap up. Be patient as one would suspect, what appears to be isn't always what is. It should be very popular this holiday season, and fans of mystery should be pleased with Guy Ritchie's vision of Sherlock Holmes.