Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The Rape of Sherlock Holmes...is there nothing sacred left?

By now, you may have seen the pervasive trailers for Hollywood's latest foray into imaginative, daring, fresh content. Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle's cerebral hero, is being reinvented in front of our eyes. Robert Downey Jr., the brilliant thespian behind the mask of Iron Man, bulks up just a bit more to play the great detective. It looks to be an exciting tale of passion, violence and humor...but it has nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes.

The reason that Holmes was a special figure in annals of classic literature, is because he was rather unique. He never stripped down to his skivvies for a bare-knuckled brawl. He never seduced women whose cases he handled. He never engaged in a thrilling, heart-pounding chase complete with explosions and gunshots. He was not James Bond, Batman, Dick Tracy, or Vin Diesel. He was substance over style, mind over matter, intellect over brawn.

Apparently, none of that matters to the talented writers who concocted this soon-to-be travesty.
The brilliant choice of casting the beefy and boisterous Downey to portray the classic gaunt, lanky, and brooding detective was obviously made off the only similarity the two men have-a penchant for mind-altering substances.

If you want to see the REAL Holmes, find a few episodes of Jeremy Brett's portrayal. Sherlock Holmes, action hero? No thanks, I'll pass.

1 comment:

  1. On the other hand, those looking forward to a crossover sequel to Wild Wild West and Van Helsing would find this a delightful romp, unburdened by plot or storyline.

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