Who Plays Who?

Robert Downey Jr Jude Law Rachel McAdams Kelly Reilly Mark Strong Eddie Marsan William Houston Robert Maillet Geraldine James Robert Maillet Hans Matheson James Fox William Hope Clive Russell

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Sherlock Holmes Dr John Watson Irene Adler Mary Morstan Lord Blackwood Inspector Lestrade Constable Clark Dredger Mrs Hudson Dredger Lord Coward Sir Thomas Ambassador Standish Captain Tanner

What Do The Critics Say

"Purists may bemoan its modern slant but those just looking for action and thrills will be entertained. Ritchie’s direction of the film is to keep the action coming and let the plot elements pop up wherever necessary. It is an action movie with a blend of humor made strong by the performance of the two leads. Downey and Law are very good in their roles and have strong chemistry on screen together." Jackie K Cooper JACKIE K COOPER REVIEWS "The delight of Downey and Law in combination proves you don't have to feature a great villain or a complete story if you've got two super heroes." Michael Smith TULSA WORLD "The less I thought about Sherlock Holmes, the more I liked Sherlock Holmes." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES "This is a swashbuckling, pratfalling romp designed to make cerebral Holmes purists drop their monocles into their teacups." Colin Covert MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE "This is rip-roaring action-adventure of high order, a sometimes dizzying but ultimately thrilling display of showmanship on the part of the actors, director and screenwriters. Some Sherlock Holmes purists may take offense at his down and dirty portrayal in the new Guy Ritchie directed film. In this Sherlock Holmes, the protagonist, acted with smirking verve by Robert Downey Jr, bears no hint of the coolly dapper Basil Rathbone style detective we've seen in previous screen incarnations. 5 STARS." Joy Tipping DALLAS MORNING NEWS

"Robert Downey Jr (as in so many things) is a brilliant choice to play the famed inspector. Downey as Holmes has a wonderful distracted, confident, mental patient air about him. Sherlock Holmes is a solid, enjoyable film with a fun score, a great use of sound and environment, and a trio of confederates you will want to know more of." Karina Montgomery CINERINA "Retains the spirit and a surprising number of details from the original source material. A sequel seems elementary." Scott Nash THREE MOVIE BUFFS "With colorful and quirky performances from Downey Jr and Law, exceptional period production design from the Oscar-nominated Sarah Greenwood and detailed screen fighting from Richard Ryan that highlights the little known martial art of bartitsu, this is a first-rate action adventure movie that provides a near perfect example of how to redress an aging genre franchise for a new audience." Mark Pollard KUNG FU CINEMA "Director Guy Ritchie, whose specialty is fast paced films about wise guys in the London organized crime scene takes on the legendary detective in this adaptation of the Arthur Conan Doyle character and turns him into a slightly crazed superhero in an action movie. Robert Downey Jr. turns in a good performance as another offbeat, slightly dissipated character who is a kind of genius, not unlike his Tony Stark portrayal in "Iron Man". There are plenty of humorous scenes in the film." Robert Roten LARAMIE MOVIE SCOPE

The Inside Story For generations, Sherlock Holmes has embodied the gift of seeing beyond the obvious-of discerning the truth from within the haze of deception. Created in the late 19th century and first published in Beeton's Christmas Annual (1887) by Arthur Conan Doyle (Knighted in 1902), the brilliant detective has become one of pop culture's most enduring figures, whose adventures are among the most widely read in the history of the English language. "He was probably the first superhero, an intellectual superhero," the actor states 1993 BAFTA Film Award winner Robert Downey Jr who plays the famed detective. "He was, and probably still is, one of the most recognizable icons on Earth, so much so that a lot of people actually thought that Sherlock Holmes was a real person. The more you look into Arthur Conan Doyle's books, the more you see what a rich character Sherlock Holmes is. He's very adept at so many things: he plays violin, he's a martial artist, a boxer, an expert single stick fighter and a swordsman of sorts. He has a strong moral code in helping good guys catch bad guys, so he has dedicated his life to being a consulting detective. He doesn't do it to show everyone how smart he is, or that he has figured everything else out when they haven't; he's actually a crusader." In this spirit, the cast and filmmakers of "Sherlock Holmes" set out to delve deeper into Conan Doyle's four novels and fifty six self-contained short stories to peel back the layers on Holmes. "We've tried to take him back to what we believe to be his origin, which is essentially a more visceral character," says 1998 Tokyo International Film Festival Best Director Award winner Guy Ritchie ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"), who has been a Holmes fan since childhood. "We've tried to integrate that and make him more streetwise. He is inquisitive about chemistry, martial arts, and the human condition. Yet he managed to percolate through all the different echelons of English society, which was tremendously complex. But then, as now, Sherlock Holmes is unique; there's really no one else like him. I think that's why his appeal has stuck. And while our story is rooted in London of the 1890s, we have tried to make it as contemporary as we possibly can." "This film brings out qualities in Holmes that are relatively unknown but incredibly cinematic and true to the character and the adventures that Conan Doyle created," two time Razzie Award winning producer Joel Silver offered. "The previous adaptations of Sherlock Holmes turned the stories into something a bit more detective noir on the big screen over the years, but at their core, these were action novels. Holmes really is an 1890s man of action, with insight and intelligence that eclipse everyone else around him, including Scotland Yard." The screenplay for "Sherlock Holmes" is by Michael Robert Johnson and Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg, from an original story by Lionel Wigram and Michael Robert Johnson. Wigram (executive producer on "August Rush"), also a producer on "Sherlock Holmes", has been a fan of Holmes since reading the stories as a child. "When I became a producer, I reread all the stories and realized that there was a new way to do Sherlock," he says. "Initially, I made a comic book, which was really a way to show how cool and fun Sherlock could be. I also wanted to explore his humanity and vulnerability and the issues he has to deal with because of his genius; he's as modern a character now as he was back when he was originally created." Wigram spoke to members of the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of Holmes experts from around the world who meet once a year in New York. At their annual meeting the Baker Street Irregulars, exchange notes, ideas and discuss their hero. "Meeting them was a humbling experience," Wigram ("Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince") recalls. "I thought I was a fan and knew about Holmes, but it's nothing compared to the expertise and knowledge of these people. They were also completely supportive of the film, which was an immense relief. Les Klinger, one of the Irregulars' trustees and noted scholar of Sherlockiana, even advised us on language and factual details." The filmmakers hoped to make "Sherlock Holmes" a movie-going experience that would create the kind of excitement that made the original works so popular and enduring. "We really felt that we had an opportunity, with today's technology, to do justice to the story in bringing this incredible vision to life," says producer Susan Downey ("Kiss Kiss Bang Bang") who met her husband Robert Downey Jr while producing "Gothika". "There is a whole generation that doesn't know much about Sherlock Holmes beyond the name. And there are longtime fans that have an affection for the deerstalker hat and the "Elementary, my dear Watson", which are not in this movie. But we hope to be truer to the source material by bringing out the action in the stories. We were able to take the scope of the stories, as well as what is suggested in the books, and put that on screen." "It's certainly an adventure, just as the stories seemed to me when I first read them," says 2000 BAFTA Film Award winner Jude Law ("The Talented Mr Ripley"), who plays Dr Watson. "There's still the cerebral intrigue and science and suspense of the original stories, but there's also the brawling and mayhem that is faithfully brought in from the novels. My great hope is that Conan Doyle fans really enjoy it because I've become a huge fan myself and am very respectful of the legacy. I do think we've been faithful, but we've also injected our characters with dimensions that have never been brought out before. Guy Ritchie is brilliant at making drama physical and incredibly skilled at keeping the energy high." Silver ("Gothika" & "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang") agrees. "Though this film takes place in the Victorian period, Guy's edgy sensibility and fresh approach to the material give you all the rich layers of mystery and drama you'd expect, but with unexpected action and humor that make 'Sherlock Holmes' an exciting and incredibly fun cinematic experience." "Sherlock Holmes" unfolds against the backdrop of London in 1890, when the city seems at the center of the world, with technology extending mankind's reach and all things new racing to replace the old. "There's a growing engagement in technologies of the near future, and this sense of wonderment," Downey Jr observes. "They're verging on all these incredible things." But for all the polish and prestige, 1890s London is also a cesspool into which all the criminals of contemporary society drain. "You have this incredibly fascinating yet dangerous city, and Holmes knows every inch of it. He feels that this is his city in which to engage the enemy. And he knows what he's up against." "In my opinion, Robert is the perfect Holmes," says Ritchie ("RocknRolla"). "He's American, but his English accent is flawless and he has an international feel to him. In his own way, Robert's also a bit of a genius. He's tremendously smart and quick-witted, and is very comfortable playing a character like Holmes." "There is also real physicality to the role in our film. Holmes participates in bare-knuckle boxing fights and practices martial arts, which Robert has been doing for the past six years," producer Downey revealed. Holmes would not be who he is without Watson, his enabler, his collaborator, his friend. As with Holmes, the filmmakers felt that the Dr Watson of the books is far more of a dynamic character than the one depicted in past movies and television series. "Watson has sometimes been portrayed as a sort of bumbling fool against Holmes's great, lofty genius," says Ritchie ("Snatch"), "but that really isn't the case. Watson is a much more significant individual than that. They really are a team." In this film, Watson is as tough as they come. "He's a war veteran just back from the Afghan war; he's been wounded and has been through hardship," Wigram explained. "He's a strong, physical man and he knows how to handle himself. Although he's not a mad genius like Holmes, he's a very clever man." In many ways, the casting of Jude Law (Errol Flynn in "The Aviator") as Watson was every bit as crucial as that of Downey as Holmes. "It seems impossible to imagine anyone else being Watson once we cast Jude," says Ritchie. "I wanted a good-looking Watson. I didn't want him to be subservient or inferior, but rather a bit of a hero with an equal partnership with Holmes. I believe that's to a degree what Conan Doyle was really after." Jude Law was familiar with Holmes and Watson since reading the stories as a child and marveled at how much of Watson has been unexplored up until now. "He's been in a brutal war and has experienced horror and physical pain," he says. "With that military background in mind, I really wanted him to represent the slightly more buttoned-up, polished professional, with Holmes being the slightly more wayward, eccentric dilettante. But Watson is far from just bumbling along; he's in the middle of the action-sometimes tearing in ahead of Holmes." In addition to joining Holmes in his investigations, Watson is also the storyteller in the Sherlock Holmes canon. "If there wasn't Watson, there would be no Holmes because Holmes never talks about what he does, but Watson is with him every step of the way," says Downey Jnr ("Tropic Thunder"). But the successful partnership of Holmes and Watson takes a surprising hit when Watson falls in love with, and plans to marry, Mary Morstan. 2005 Cannes Film Festival Chopard Trophy winner Kelly Reilly plays Mary. "Mary loves Watson very much, and she also admires Holmes, who sees her as a bit of a threat," says 2006 dual Empire Award winner Reilly ("Mrs Henderson Presents" & "Prejudice"). "He believes that if Watson gets married and moves away, it will jeopardize their partnership and that may be the case." Holmes is shaken by the notion that Watson is so determined to make a new life with Mary. "Holmes can't understand why Watson would want anything other than what they already have," says Susan Downey. The role of Holmes's great loveand Achilles' heel, Irene Adler, went to 2009 ShoWest Award Female Star of the Year, Rachel McAdams. "Rachel struck me as the ideal Irene," says Ritchie. "She portrays her with this fantastic benign façade under which is the serpent of the most nefarious nature." "Irene is a bit of a mystery, so it was fun getting to unveil her layers," McAdams offered. But it is Lord Blackwood who becomes Holmes's singular focus. "Lord Blackwood is a wonderfully arcane, evil counterpoint to Holmes," says Mark Strong ("Body of Lies"), who was cast in the role. "He dabbles in the occult and would have people believe that he can come back from the dead. I wanted Blackwood to be a mysterious character, and he is a dangerous threat. He has his reasons for doing the terrible things he does. I hope that I've made him a worthy opponent for Holmes." Synopsis

Sherlock Holmes has made his reputation finding the truth at the heart of the most complex mysteries. With the aid of trusted ally Dr Watson, the renowned 'consulting detective' is unequaled in his pursuit of criminals of every stripe, whether relying on his singular powers of observation, his remarkable deductive skills, or the blunt force of his fists. But now a storm is gathering over London, a threat unlike anything that Holmes has ever confronted. It's just the challenge he's looking for. After a string of brutal, ritualistic murders, Holmes and Watson arrive just in time to save the latest victim and uncover the killer: the unrepentant Lord Blackwood. As he approaches his scheduled hanging, Blackwood: who has terrorized inmates and jailers alike with his seeming connection to dark and powerful forces; warns Holmes that death has no power over him. It's a challenge made for Holmes.

The Verdict "Hot on the heels of "RocknRolla" comes Guy Ritchie's gereration defining take on one of the world most beloved detectives: Sherlock Holmes. No-one can deny that Ritchie hasn't fulfilled the promise he showed with 1998's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", which he not only directed but also wrote. A year later, he was announced as winner of the 1999 Evening Standard British Film Awards 'Most Promising Newcomer' category, for the very same film. While Ritchie fans eagerly awaited the release of his latest bigscreener, those who are still alive and can remember the 'grand old days' (when Basil Rathbone, resplendant in his deerstalker hat played the time honoured character Sherlock Holmes), faced the prospect of a new version with great trepidation. For many, the fear and anxiety will no doubt increase. Those who have an adaptive mind should join the new generation of filmgoers who will flock to see this 'actioner', remembering that what was portrayed in the past was very one dimensional. Now, thanks to Ritchie, Robert Downey Jnr, Jude Law and 2004, 2008 British Independent Film Award winner Eddie Marsan (who is every bit what you'd imagine Inspector Lestrade to be), we have a new hero to admire. One who doesn't rely on superpowers or a tight fitting costume. My gut feeling is that the 'new' Holmes and his side-kick Watson are going to attract a very solid fan base whose appetite, now truly whet, will hunger for more. They will, quite rightly, expect a sequel. "Sherlock Holmes" is an impressive action packed experience laced with cunning and humour, that will breath life into the iconic character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle over two centuries ago. Highly Entertaining. Very watchable. 4 1/2 STARS." The Production Team

Director Screenplay Screen Story Characters Producers Original Music Cinematography Film Editor Casting Production Designer Art Direction Set Decoration Costume Designers

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Guy Ritchie Michael Robert Johnson/Anthony Peckham/Simon Kinberg Lionel Wigram and Michael Robert Johnson Holmes & Watson created by Arthur Conan Doyle Susan Downey/Dan Lin/Joel Silver/Lionel Wigram Hans Zimmer Philippe Rousselot James Herbert Reg Poerscout-Edgerton Sarah Greenwood James Foster/Nick Gottschalk/Matthew Gray Katie Spencer Jenny Beavan and Melissa Meister

Run Time 128 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2010 - Warner Bros - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2010 All Rights Reserved Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian, International Copyright & Intellectual Laws. Trademark Laws Apply.