Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes

I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, most notably the old Universal serials from the 40’s with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. There have been many incarnations of the character over the years and even though each has it’s own flavor, the core of the character remains the same. Solving mysteries by exploiting the most basic of observations that most people look right past. The master sleuth’s adventures, accompanied by is loyal companion Dr. Watson and with the aid of Inspector LeStrade and Scotland Yard are always full of twists and turns and entertaining. This new incarnation with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law does not disappoint. Their version of the duo is much more action oriented and it does make sense in our current day and age that they would need to be in order to draw more people into the theater. Though Downey’s version of Holmes took a little getting used to, Law’s Watson was fantastic from start to finish. Rachel McAdams was a fitting addition as well playing Irene Adler, a savvy femme fatale whose intentions are unclear for the duration of the film. With Lord Blackwood as the main villain and a very occult feel to the film, the tone was dark and dreary, matching the look of London in Guy Ritchie’s take. I enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to seeing more in the future.

I give Sherlock Holmes an 8 outta 10.

Movie Review: Avatar

Okay, this review is a little overdue, but better late than never. No one can dispute that James Cameron is one of the greatest directors of our time. His movies are legendary; including Aliens, Titanic, Terminator and more. Avatar was visually captivating. The CG was immaculate. The story was entertaining and full. The cast was top-notch as well. As much praise as this film has gotten however, I still saw a few flaws in my opinion. My first issue was with the mechs. Not actually with the mech suits themselves, but with their weapons. Firstly, why aren’t their weapons built in? That is very inconvenient. And even more that that, shy do the operators have to mime holding the weapons? Again, not really the most productive way to do things if you ask me. I don’t know about you, but if I was miming holding a gun whilst controlling a big-ass mech armor, I might be a little hindered. Just an observation. The other thing that bothered me, and I feel that most people just glanced over it without any thought… The story was nothing I haven’t seen a thousand times! I even heard someone reference Fern Gully a couple weeks back. Hahaha. If that doesn’t explain where I’m coming from, nothing will. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still thoroughly enjoyed the film. It was entertaining and colorful and a great piece of film.

I give Avatar an 8 outta 10.