Mr. A sent this to me with a question: Why is it that people need to make Sherlock Holmes into the 19th Century’s Batman? Granted, Holmes had his disguises and his moments of derring-do but this looks like the Wild Wild West:
I want this to be good because I’ve been starved of Sherlock Holmes on screen since forever, and because I love Robert Downey Jr. and think he’s not the worst actor they could have chosen. I’ve seen some actors who are physically unlike Holmes absolutely kill the part, like Frank Langella in the William Gillette adaption and this red-headed kid I saw years ago in a play, who managed to get me past his looks with his acting. I’m willing to be charmed and seduced by it.
And I’m not a total canon snob, I’ve read and enjoyed some pretty horrible pastiches ranging from Holmes investigating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to time-travel absurdity and the Phantom of the Opera to Holmes being Jack the Ripper himself. But I may have to draw the line at campy sex hijinks with Irene Adler and the maid. Just … no.
A.