I hate to have to give the UBOO rating to a film that I didn't literally walk out on. But I went to see Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" this afternoon with my wife and daughter and son-in-law, so couldn't just leave. If I'd taken the car home I'd have had to come back to get them, etc. Bummer.Where does one start in panning this film? Too loud, too much CGI, adolescent "action," contrived and arbitrary plot, exploitive of Conan Doyle's character, etc., etc. What a waste of talent by the many supremely talented individuals who created this travesty.
On the way home (I wasn't driving), I called my friend Jim Rix, who had a lot to say about Sherlock Holmes in his excellent true crime book, Jingle Jangle: The Perfect Crime Turned Inside Out. He had told me earlier in the week that he planned to go to the movie with his own daughter on Christmas Day. I got his leave-a message, so I did:
You didn't go to see "Sherlock Holmes" yesterday after all, did you? How do I know? Elementary, Mr. dear Watson. If you had gone, you'd have called to warn me. But you didn't. QED.
It took me a few hours to recover from that smug assault on my senses and intelligence, but I was able by evening to join everyone in watching "The Thomas Crown Affair" (the 1999 version with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, directed by John McTiernan). VG. (With an EO for that see-through black dress Rene wears on her dancing night out with Pierce.)
I had previously seen bits & pieces of the "Sherlock" preview a few times over the past few weeks, but I'd never really paid attention. Soon after reading your review, I saw it again & this time paid attention. At first it seemed OK, but then it continued to get worse (IMHO). Now, I've never read nor watched much about Sherlock Holmes in my past. However, many of the preview scenes & verbal exchanges seemed NOTHING like what little I already knew about the character! So now I'm not even interested in seeing it even if/when it comes to DVD or TV!
ReplyDeleteSheesh! It's amazing to me how many movies, DVDs, & TV shows have been made over the last decade or so that have so little "SRV" (as I call it--"socially redeeming value"). Maybe for the new kids on the block the old movies & TV programs seem "a bit slow," but that's how background was set, how dialog was launched & characters developed. I can't remember the last time I was in a movie theater for something I truly thought was worth paying...hmmm, I don't even know what the going rate IS any more! I find myself renting very few DVDs & watching only channels that I feel are worth my attention...nature, history, educational, travel, & a few other similar programs, documentaries, or docudramas. It's also unfortunate that TV replays the same old tired stuff over & over.
It's enough to sometimes make me VERY seriously consider canceling cable, continuing to rent VERY few DVDs, & start reading a LOT more than I do now. :-)