Word: films
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...logical bent of Conan Doyle’s series than as a serious portrayal of it. From impossibly large explosions whose implausibility is exceeded only by the number of proximal characters who manage to survive them, to magical African flowers which perform convenient plot functions, this is not a film showcasing mind over matter. On occasion, we witness Holmes’s renowned analytical capabilities, but rarely are these moments integral to the story. Holmes uses his intellect not so much to outwit the villains as to discover their next target, whereupon conflicts are resolved in fantastical action sequences...
...World of Tomorrow.” It helps that the writers chose to grant Watson a more active role in the proceedings than he typically takes in the traditional Sherlock Holmes storyline. In fact, there is no “elementary, my dear Watson” moment in this film. Though Holmes is clearly ahead of the intellectual curve, Watson is self-confident and able to hold his own – even more so than Holmes – in the film’s numerous fight scenes...
...accompanied by two less-than-leading ladies—Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) as Holmes’s former flame and Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly) as Watson’s fiancé—both of whom receive only minimal screen-time in the two hour film. McAdams and Reilly give strong performances that could easily have been explored more extensively, but it’s hard to argue with the choice to let the relationship between Holmes and Watson take center stage...
...that it is every sort of movie except a mystery. Guy Ritchie’s adaptation of the adventures of the sleuth of Baker Street is by turns a thriller, an action movie, and a comedy—and in each of these, it succeeds. But a truly great film would take its cue from what made Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s series so great—the mind-bending experience of witnessing Sherlock Holmes rewrite the story the audience thought they understood into an entirely new narrative. For now, though, viewers will have to wait...
Despite the intrusion of post-9/11 themes into the subdued suburban settings of previous Nicholas Sparks film adaptations such as “The Notebook,” “Message in a Bottle,” and “A Walk to Remember,” actors Channing M. Tatum and Amanda M. Seyfried said in a conference call that their upcoming film “Dear John” is still in line with the emotionally moving material at which Sparks excels...