'Sherlock Holmes'

'Sherlock Holmes' (PG-13) **1/2

Writers: Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg
Directed By Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan, Kelly Reilly

Robert Downey Jr. has a complete and masterful charm and ease about him on the screen. Sometimes I think that he is smarter than the material he gets to star in. He is such a good actor and screen presence that he can make you smile, feel comfortable and know you are watching someone who knows what he is doing. He almost saves "Sherlock Holmes" from becoming a total misfire and disappointing star vehicle and possible franchise. "Sherlock Holmes" has it's moments and they are mostly the dialogue and the way it is delivered by Downey and his co stars. Jude Law as Watson has a great chemistry with Downey Jr. and they work the dialogue well off of each other. Also the fetching and magnetic Rachel McAdams proves again she has star power just waiting to jump out and she has good chemistry with Downey Jr. The film though is not really that memorable or good. It is overlong, the story is weak and a not as smart detective probably could have solved the mystery. I am not saying I figured it out but the case is too easy for someone like Holmes to figure out.

The villain is capably played by a great new promising actor Mark Strong who was great in "Young Victoria". The problem is the villain doesn't make a lasting and menacing enough bad guy and is never really on screen. The real villain in the books by Arthur Conan Doyle is Professor Moriarty and he makes a brief appearance setting up a villain for a possible sequel. There will definitely now be a sequel thanks to the Box Office take and the best thing about that is it might promise a better sequel. The real heart of the books was the strength of Moriarty and he was a match for Holmes. Since there is a sequel and Moriarty will be in it maybe it will be a stronger and better written movie. There is promise here because of the chemistry between and acting of Downey, Law and McAdams. What you have with this movie is a weak villain, too many big, loud and clumsy action scenes and no time to just soak in the movie because it is really choppy and frantic. "Sherlock Holmes" should be a battle of wits not a "Transformers" movie. I do recommend you see it if you like Robert Downey Jr. because as always he lights up the screen in this near miss.