The Avengers

As if the freakishly hot weather wasn't a big enough clue, I guess summer is officially here with the first of the big summer blockbusters -- The Avengers. The Avengers has been one of my most anticipated films of the year, especially since Thor and Captain America gave the film such  great set-up last year. Now it's no secret I ADORE superhero flicks -- I've loved both Iron Man films, Thor, and Captain America, but with the addition of Hawkeye, Black Widow, and the Hulk, I wasn't sure how that much awesomeness could fit into one film. Taken singularly, anyone of the aforementioned denizens of the Marvel universe is more than big enough to carry their own movie, and given the action-heavy trailers for this group outing I was a bit concerned that character was going to be lost in the sea of explosions. Placing Joss Whedon at the helm of this movie was a masterstroke of genius. Whedon knows how to bring ensembles together and make you care about each of the players, and happily The Avengers is no exception. This movie is freaking AMAZING. Plenty of spoilers to follow... :)

So remember the Tesseract/Cosmic Cube thing? The Tesseract has been on lockdown in a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility under the supervision of Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), who reports to the always enigmatic Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) has been the lead scientist on the Cosmic Cube project, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attempt (allegedly) to harness the object's limitless energy. What apparently no one realized was what, exactly, a live wire the Tesseract could be, serving as an energy portal between worlds. This is something that, of course, the exiled and angsty Loki (Tom Hiddleston) takes full advantage of, since he's the god of mischief and conniving and all.

Now I could sing Tom Hiddleston's praises from now until the end of time, I love him so much, I do  I do! :) He is such a delicious villain. I mean take his headgear -- it is ridiculous -- but Hiddleston owns it. Props to him for that. :) This time around, Loki is working on behalf of an alien race called t Chitauri. They (mustn't forget, they oddly reminded me of future predators from the TV show Primeval) want the Tesseract, and in exchange for the Cube they'll loan Loki an army so he can conquer Earth and show up his brother Thor. Yes, poor Loki really thinks that is going to work out. Bless his heart. :P Anyways, Loki is a lot of fun in this film -- all sturm and drang and stomping around (watch for the scene in Germany -- Hiddleston in a trenchcoat -- GAH I CAN'T TAKE IT). Loki destroys S.H.I.E.L.D.'s facility and in the process takes Selvig (WHY OH WHY COULDN'T HE KILL SELVIG?!) and Agent Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner).

Hawkeye was briefly introduced in Thor, and after seeing Renner at work in this film I have to say it is a crying shame that he and the Black Widow didn't get their own origin film (it's never too late for that, Marvel...just sayin'!). It's really quite wrenching seeing Hawkeye in thrall to Loki, however briefly...but that is more than made up for by Renner's intensity and charisma. He is absolutely delightful in this movie people, DELIGHTFUL. (What's not to like about a guy with a bow?) I love the act that the likes of Hawkeye help balance the superhero team with some sense of humanity, if you will. Hawkeye isn't a demigod, isn't a super soldier, isn't impervious to pain or harm -- he's just a badass with an extremely dangerous skill set.

Hawkeye's partner, for lack of a better term, is the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff, first introduced in Iron Man 2. I can really take or leave Johansson in most films, but I think she does an excellent job playing the icy assassin/spy. This film does a great job of adding some much-needed layers to the Black Widow's character by allowing us to see the cracks in her armor, like letting us see the impact of nearly losing Barton to Loki's machinations or almost getting squashed by the Hulk has on her psyche. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that Romanoff is an woman who looks on her work with S.H.I.E.L.D. as her best shot at redemption. I would love, love, LOVE a film dedicated to Hawkeye and Black Widow's pre-Avengers shenanigans. It's refreshing to see a strong female character in a film like this grappling with issues of identity and her past (as opposed to forcing a romantic hook-up, you know?).

Fury sends Natasha to bring in Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), living in isolation, practicing medicine in India, trying to avoid turning into the Hulk at all costs. Now I've never really been all that into the Hulk, and given the fact that Hollywood has tried and tried to launch a film franchise with little success I wasn't initially very excited about the Hulk's inclusion in this film. I couldn't have been more wrong. Ruffalo is fantastic as the conflicted Banner/Hulk -- perhaps all the green guy needed was a group of other superhero types to play off of? Because the group dynamic between everyone else and the potentially loose cannon that is Banner is terrific and provides the film with some of its most entertaining, laugh-out-loud moments (of particular note is the beat-down he delivers to Loki). I do think there was a bit of a logic jump as far as the Hulk's powers go -- we go from blind rage Hulk to team player Hulk -- was that a result of Banner just applying himself during his transformations or what?

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a fascinating character to throw onto a team like this -- because historically I don't think anyone is less of a team player than Iron Man, you know? I can't really complain, though, because Stark's ego and quick-witted comments (when he tells Thor he thought the demigod was playing Shakespeare in the park I could've died laughing) make my heart sing, I MEAN IT. Sarcasm of that type delivered with verve by RDJ -- it really doesn't get better than that for my snarkiness-loving-heart. *wink* It was nice to see how Stark's relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) has mellowed him just a smidge (speaking of Potts, her cameo is just one example of what a fantastic job Marvel does ensuring continuity in their films -- I LOVE that). Also, I adored the way Stark befriends (if that's the right word) Banner -- their shared scientific background means they speak the same language -- and Stark, impossible though it may seem, actually has the insight to know how to push Banner to use his alter-ego. LOVE THAT.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is of course a major player seeing as it is his brother wreaking havoc on the planet where his lady love resides (sorry, I couldn't resist waxing poetic -- I love Thor's more formal, courtly manner of speaking -- it's a small thing perhaps but it helps set him apart from the rest of the Avengers). I'm so happy that this movie continued to explore the strained relationship between the Asgardian brothers...it would be so easy to just have the two fill distinct hero/villain roles, but knowing their history, seeing how Thor impossibly still seems to care for Loki (while of course wanting to throttle him) adds fantastic layers to their respective characters. Is it perhaps the fact that Thor can't seem to quite write his brother off that lends Loki the hope of some sort of redemption? Food for thought. :) Stark and Thor are definitely alpha characters on the "team," so this movie explores the struggle to find shared purpose and balance. The Iron Man/Thor introductory fight was a highly entertaining way of working out those intitial personality clashes. :)

Obviously I loved everything about this movie, but I have a special soft spot for how this movie handled the Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) character. Seeing as how we last saw Steve waking up after a seventy year sleep to a very different world, he arguably had the biggest learning curve of the entire group. The thing that impressed me the most in his film last year was that Steve was very much an old-fashioned hero, just a nice guy with deeply held principles of honor and duty ingrained in his psyche. Whedon made the right call in choosing to tell most of the story from Rogers' perspective, as the outsider who has to come to terms with the 21st-century and his place within it. Rogers is very much a soldier's soldier, and his sacrifice at the end of last year's film cost him his brothers in arms, his family, so this film is in no small way about Rogers once again finding a sense of purpose and community. He is the very definition of selfless, so it's interesting to see how he clashes with the more self-absorbed Stark. But for all the angst the payoff during the climactic battle is a sweet one, when the rest of his Avengers cohorts cede to his battlefield expertise and look to him for command in the field.

Now, as much as it pains me I need to talk about Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg). I ADORE COULSON. He's been a constant presence throughout the Marvel films, always bringing the everyman touch to the fantastic goings-on, with snarkiness, sarcasm, and class, completely unflappable. He apparently had a thing for Captain America, and his trading card collection and unabashed fandom was a stroke of comic genius (as well as the whole horribly awkward "I watched you sleep" speech). Coulson was the very definition of team player, how much so revealed by his death. HIS. DEATH. At the hands of Tom-freaking-Hiddleston no less. This is a filmic tragedy of epic proportions in my world, people! Now I realize killing off a well-liked co-worker, basically, someone everyone on the team liked, was needed, the impetus to make this motely crew of loners a team. But that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. *SOBS* WAY TO RIP OUT MY HEART AND STOMP ALL OVER IT, WHEDON!!! (And brings me back to the whole question of WHY COULDN'T SELVIG GET KILLED OFF INSTEAD?!)

I really enjoyed finally seeing Nick Fury in an entire film (as opposed to a teaser scene or two). One gets the impression he is extremely dedicated to his work, but not above using less than aboveboard methods to achieve his purposes (re: the trading card incident). I really hope this announced Nick Fury origin film is given the green light soon, as I'd love to know this guy's backstory, the council he is supposed to answer to (but ignores for most of this film), where he first got the idea for the Avengers Initiative. So many questions, so little time. :)

So, basically, EVERY LITTLE FLIPPING THING about this movie is just made of awesome from start to finish. Whedon did an excellent job weaving together the storylines and strengths of so many disparate, wildly dysfunctional characters into a family of sorts (Firefly, anyone? *wink*), replete with lots of humor and heart. The Avengers worked better than I ever could've dreamed -- a little slice of superhero film paradise. :) Keeping an action film character-centered is no small feat, and Whedon does an excellent job balancing the players with the action sequences. The latter are spectacular (I particularly liked the Chitauris' fishlike ships). And Alan Silvestri, who scored Captain America, provides a rousing score that given his recent history with Marvel films, provides a nice sense of continuity score-wise. With Thor 2 and Iron Man 3 scheduled for release next year, and the Nick Fury film in the pipeline, I can only hope their certain success will lead to a second Avengers film in 2014 or 2015. This formula worked so well, with the same team -- well a sequel just desperately needs to happen. Pretty please? :)

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was another one of my most anticipated films of the holiday season, which I'm sure is no surprise given my not so secret love of all things Holmes-related. :) The only mystery (which I still haven't figured out) is how this film was in theaters for almost a month before I finally got around to seeing it. My apologies to Sherlock and Watson.

Like its predecessor, this film franchise isn't for the Sherlock purist. That said, I thoroughly enjoy director Guy Ritchie's darkly compelling, gorgeous realization of Victorian England (and in this case, a great part of Europe), and the positively irresistible chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. as the world's foremost consulting detective and the delicious and adorable Jude Law as his long-suffering BFF Dr. Watson.

As promised at the end of the 2009 film, A Game of Shadows sees Holmes obsessed with tracking the movements of Professor James Moriarty, a shadowy puppetmaster intent on plunging all of Europe into a cataclysmic war. Moriarty is brought to life by Jared Harris. I have only a passing familiarity with Harris's filmography, but oh my word he was pitch-perfect as Sherlock's arch-enemy. His Moriarty is cold, calculating, and chilling, a soulless force of evil that counterbalances some of the ridiculousness that comes with this realization of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories -- the explosions, slow-motion fights, etc. Harris's Moriarity is a villain worthy of the name, and perhaps best of all he, by contrast, has the ability to make Downey's rather unorthodox Sherlock feel and be a hero.

My favorite aspect of this incarnation of Holmes is the relationship between Holmes and Watson. Downey and Law have this amazing on-screen chemistry. Whether or not you like the term bromance (if you have a better one, let me know!), Downey and Watson help define it and never better than the work they deliver in A Game of Shadows. The banter, the fights, the exasperation and most of all the never-changing, unshakeable affection between the two of them  -- GAH!! I absolutely love it. This film begins with Watson on the eve of his wedding to Mary (Kelly Reilly). Of course Sherlock buggers up his best man duties and forgets to invite anyone to the bachelor party, instead investigating a Moriarty-related lead (Watson remains happily - and drunkenly - oblivious). But despite his veneer of selfishness and denial, Sherlock still manages to get Watson to the church on time, and Downey still manages to break my heart by looking on his friend's happiness with such a forlorn look that it just killed me.

And this is where things get really interesting if you're a fan of this Holmes/Watson dynamic asI am -- so much of the subsequent action results partly from Sherlock's desire to keep his best friend close, but more than that, to keep him safe. Sherlock may trash-talk marriage, may make a great show of trying to get Watson to rethink his future, but when Moriarty threatens Watson and Mary, Holmes will do anything to keep them safe (including throwing Mary from a moving train). Speaking of Mary, Kelly Reilly is absolutely superb in the role. Though her screentime is limited, she and Law make a lovely couple, and for all that Sherlock must try her patience, Reilly tempers what would be understandable frustration with a warmth that acknowledges just what Sherlock means to Watson. It's rather like when Mary is in the picture, Sherlock is the Watsons' wayward child, or that relative that you love but wears you out to no end with their shenanigans. *wink*

Given how fantastic it was to see Mary decipher Moriarty's stolen accounts book (and does she every relish the work -- the girl has moxie!), one wonders Ritchie and company don't make greater use of Reilly's talent. Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) makes a brief appearance, only to be dispatched within the first fifteen minutes (one assumes she's in a sanatorium since Moriarty infected her with tuberculosis, if not dead altogether). Reception for McAdams's Adler was mixed as I recall when the first film released -- the scripting for her character did her no favors, though I do like the spark that enters Downey's eye when dealing with "the Woman," and placing her squarely on the wrong side of the law as a sort of "spy for hire" is a premise with possibility. If nothing else her questionable fate gives Downey an excuse to up the angst factor, and we all know how much I love that. :)

This script introduces gypsy fortune-teller Simza Heron, played by Noomi Rapace in her English-language film debut. I didn't think Simza was a very well-realized character, which in hindsight should be no surprise. However, I LOVED the atmosphere and culture that introducing gypsies to the storyline gave the film, in particular how it gave Hans Zimmer an excuse to incorporate gypsy-like rhythms into his fantastic score for the film.

I am so glad I somehow managed to stay away from an reviews of this film that mentioned Reichenbach, as revelation that the scene of Holmes and Moriarty's ultimate confrontation figures significantly in the movie's climax. The film is bookended with scenes of Watson typing up this film's nod to the canonical "The Final Problem", giving me great hope that a third Sherlock film is in the offing that will build on the strengths of this second installment. A Game of Shadows is at its best when showcasing the Holmes/Watson friendship first and foremost, and secondarily for its colorful evocation of late 19th century Europe, a powder keg ready to explode with the slightest provocation (Moriarty's goal) -- and we can see Ritchie hint at the pieces of the puzzle that would become a perfect storm twenty three years after this film is set, and engulf Europe in World War I.

From the construction-strewn streets of London, seen awash with a wonderful sepia tone that adds a richness to each frame of film, to the glitter of a Paris opera house, to a gloriously-rendered castle on a Swiss mountainside, A Game of Shadows is a feast for the eyes. The film is packed with wonderful period detail, from the clothing to the sets, and that coupled with an energetic pacing and a more focused storyline makes this sequel an improvement on a predecessor that despite its oft-irreverant treatment of its source material I found surprisingly enjoyable. There's enough surprises planted throughout these films, little nods to Doyle's stories that make the Sherlock aficionada in me quite happy (such as Moriarty's lieutenant being Colonel Sebastian Moran of "The Adventure of the Empty House," played by Paul Anderson). I have to acknowledge Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes -- he really is ideally suited as a foil to Downey's Sherlock. And I was so happy to see Eddie Marsan make a brief appearance at the end of the movie as Inspector Lestrade.

After Watson's utterly bereft, horrified look at Holmes falling to his death (seriously, Law has gorgeous eyes), I'm really looking forward to the third installment in this franchise -- it has to be made. The promise of Sherlock's return and Watson's indignation (at being so monstrously used)/joy is to tempting to pass up. :)

Upcoming movies edition, part two

I figure it's been a couple of months since I've spotlighted upcoming films I'm interested in seeing in theaters, so another trailers post is long overdue. :)

First up is The Back-up Plan, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin (YUMMY!! Sorry, had to get that out of my system...). I don't mind Lopez in the right movie (she stars in one of my all-time favorite romantic comedies after all, The Wedding Planner), but O'Loughlin - love him. It's all that stupid show Moonlight's fault. This one opens tomorrow.



Coming 5/7 is Iron Man 2, and this one I cannot wait to see people! I love me some Robert Downey Jr. Enough said. :)



The following week brings two very different movies I'm interested in seeing. First up is Robin Hood - now, I was just telling my friend Kaye the other day that I wasn't all that excited about this movie for some reason, but that was before I just discovered this trailer online. Russell Crowe, Matthew Macfadyen, Cate Blanchett, AND Mark Strong?! Now I have to say I'm excited... :)



I posted the trailer for Letters to Juliet a couple of months ago, but I'm so excited about this movie I think it's worth sharing again. It's opening opposite Robin Hood and I'm pretty sure it will get clobbered at the box office opposite a Ridley Scott pic but doesn't it look amazing?! It just doesn't get any classier than Vanessa Redgrave, does it? And oh my do I love Christopher Egan. :) Can't wait!



And finally, and I have to admit I feel a little silly admitting I want to see this, we have Prince of Persia: Sands of Time opening the last Friday in May. Not only does it have a ridiculously long, Pirates of the Caribbean-esque name, but Jake Gyllenhaal plays the title character and never fails to crack me up when I see this preview. This movie also features Brit Gemma Arterton, who has appeared in Lost in Austen, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and Quantum of Solace (as the rather unfortunately named Strawberry Fields, LOL).



Well, since that takes us through the end of May I think that's enough movie excitement for this installment... :)

Sherlock Holmes

Possible spoilers…

I have to confess, I went into the new Sherlock Holmes movie with relatively low expectations. I’m an inveterate Jeremy Brett-IS-Sherlock Holmes fan, so the news that Robert Downey Jr. would be taking on the role was greeted with a healthy dose of skepticism. No one else can seriously compare to Brett in my view, end of story, period, the end. I’d say I was intrigued by the idea of the movie – I like Robert Downey Jr. well enough, and Jude Law is, well, JUDE LAW, but the movie was being directed by Guy Ritchie. I mean the guy married MADONNA for goodness’ sake (that does not gain one points in my book, just sayin’). However, color me shocked on all fronts – I loved this movie. Downey may not be “the” definitive version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous creation, but his take on the iconic character is the most fun and entertaining that I’ve seen in, well, ages. And I loved Law’s take on Watson – refreshingly, here Watson is mind-blowingly competent for once, and the movie gives you a good sense of the Holmes/Watson friendship, particularly the sacrifices Watson had to make in his personal life in order to make that friendship work. Downey and Law have a really wonderful best friends chemistry on-screen, and seeing that friendship play out is a big part of what made the movie so enjoyable for me.

The look of the film is spectacular. I loved every single thing about the way Ritchie presents his darkly foreboding vision of Victorian England. He gives the atmosphere of the movie a real gothic flair. I also loved the costumes – Downey and Law each wear their respective suits really well. And it’s nice to see Sherlock sans the deerstalker hat that’s become such a part of the character thanks to previous films. Here Holmes is a somewhat more bohemian dresser which fits with the character’s somewhat slapdash personal habits from the stories. Mark Strong’s costumes give his character, the villainous Lord Blackwood, a suitably Dracula-like flair. The only real punches of color in the film as regards costumes belong to Holmes’s muse, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams). The shocking bursts of color in her costumes represent well, I think, what her character does for Holmes in the film (that is, shakes him up terribly!). Oh, and the Hans Zimmer score is just fantastic - definitely one of my favorites by him, full of cool themes and Holmesian flourishes. Probably my favorite work by Zimmer since the Pirates films.

This version of the Holmes story returns much of the character’s energy to the screen that’s lost or “toned down” in earlier film adaptations (like Basil Rathbone’s take on the character). Brett’s take on Holmes does a good job of balancing the more refined, aristocratic points of the character’s personality with his tendency towards rather manic bursts of energy, particularly in the middle of a chase. This is seen especially in the early Brett films, since as the series progressed the actor’s health grew progressively worse and the effects of those health problems can be seen on-screen. In 2009 much of the gentlemanly veneer Holmes has worn for the past 100 or so years is ripped away, and we get to see all of the character’s energy and brilliance on full display.

Which brings me to Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes – I LOVED every second of his performance. Downey’s Holmes is brilliant, eccentric, energetic, manic, selfish, mannerly, sensitive, and hopelessly inept at personal relationships. He’s extreme in all respects, but in the best possible way. One of the best aspects of how Holmes is portrayed in this movie is that you get to see how the detective thinks. Credit for successfully pulling off this not inconsiderable feat goes to both Downey's acting and Ritchie’s direction. Seeing the way the great detective’s brain views the world is not only fascinating, but it goes a long way towards explaining why he finds “normal” (haha) people so frustrating to deal with (and vice-versa). In addition to the really extraordinarily well-done depiction of Holmes’s mental acuity, this take on the character doesn’t shy away from any of Sherlock’s more sensational habits and skills. We get Holmes the drug addict, the fighter (fist-fighting, plus he’s quite handy with a cane), the amateur scientist, the disguise expert, and the violin aficionado.

Holmes’s ever-present friend and roommate is of course, Dr. Watson, whose film portrayals have ranged from the buffoonish to the competent (but never, ever approaching Holmes’s equal!). Jude Law’s take on Watson ranks as one of my favorites, not because of how it relates (or not) to the source material, but because it gives you such a great sense of the genuineness of the Holmes/Watson friendship. This movie comes at a rather trying time for the long-time residents of 221B Baker Street, since Watson is planning to get married. Of course marriage is going to alter some of Watson’s priorities, and that’s a change that the rather narcissistic Holmes is loathe to accept, which leads to some really funny scenes. I really liked how Law’s Watson is really competent, kind, loyal, and conscientious – he knows he’s not as flashy or quick-witted as Holmes, but he’s also not going to be taken advantage of (not without a fight, anyway!).

When I first saw the previews for Sherlock Holmes, I had somewhat mixed feelings toward the apparent steampunk direction of the storyline. It seemed as though Holmes was going to go all Van Helsing-like in this story, fighting baddies who can apparently raise themselves from the dead. The baddie in question is Lord Blackwood, played by the fantastic, fabulous, oh-my-gosh-his-voice-is-so-amazing-I-could-listen-to-it-all-day Mark Strong. Love him, in case you couldn’t tell. Strong is just terrific in this film – he’s scary, intense, evil, and wickedly smart, all in all a worthy adversary for Holmes. (He’s also gorgeous, weirdly crooked teeth notwithstanding. But that’s neither here nor there.) ;-) To speak to Blackwood’s methods – yes, he’s into all sorts of wonky spiritualism which fits well with the dark, gothic atmosphere of the movie. But the final confrontation at the end of the film neatly brings things back into Holmes’s most beloved area of expertise – that of a case solved through logical, well-ordered, scientific reasoning. I thought it was nicely done, and a touch I didn’t quite expect given the apparent tone of the movie. While I enjoyed the entire film, the concluding scenes are what really sold me on Downey as Holmes.

Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) is the one ever-so-slightly missed opportunity in this movie in my book. Adler is such a fascinating character in the Holmes canon. She's the only woman who ever managed to gain the detective's genuine admiration. All other women were only interesting if they brought a fascinating problem Holmes's way, while Adler was the only one whose personality, mind, and capabilities fascinated him. This time around Adler is a little more than an American "adventuress," now she's a spy/thief for hire. When Adler and Holmes meet, sparks fly (I loved the moment when Holmes tries to hide her photo!), and it's clear that in this Holmesian universe the two have a passionate and complicated past. McAdams and Downey have some nice on-screen chemistry, and the characters' reunion raises tons of questions, like how did they meet, why were they separated, etc.? It's such an interesting premise, to place an iconic character like Adler on the wrong side of the law, but I just don't feel like the script did her justice. I wanted more context for her character, but perhaps that will be supplied in the promised sequel. The final scene between McAdams and Downey is very well-played, and I look forward to seeing the relationship develop in Holmes #2.

There's a few minor characters that I simply must mention. Eddie Marsan, last seen in Me and Orson Welles and earlier this year in Little Dorrit, is the perfect Inspector Lestrade to Downey's Holmes. He's Holmes's friend, but he's also enough of a by-the-books policeman to get aggravated with the detective's sometimes unorthodox methods. Kelly Reilly, who also made a brief appearance in Me and Orson Welles, plays Watson's fiancee Mary Morstan. She at first catches absolute hell from Holmes for "stealing" away Watson, but in a refreshing turn of events she very classily rises above this and recognizes not only how much Watson regards Holmes's friendship, but how much the too really need each other. The scene in the hospital was extraordinarly well played. Hans Matheson makes a brief appearance as one of Blackwood's cronies, the aptly named Lord Coward. Matheson is quit good at playing bad guys as he previously appeared as Alec D'Urberville in Tess on Masterpiece Classic earlier this year. James Fox also continues his practice of making a guest appearance in just about everything by playing Blackwood's father, Sir Thomas.

This is a seriously fun movie, was for me anyway. I may go see it again if time and finances permit. And I can not wait for the sequel this movie promises - the introduction of Moriarty (did I let that slip? *wink*) is beautifully done. Can. Not. WAIT. :)

Sherlock Holmes

Okay, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this...this movie still scares me just a little. But I do have a couple of observations to make:

1. Mark Strong is the villain!
2. Jude Law is Watson (WEIRD casting IMO, but the moment where Watson complains about Holmes being a slob was HILARIOUS).
3. Eddie Marsan is Inspector Lestrade! This is GENIUS! (In case you missed my previous blogs - LOL - Marsan was the fantastically quirky Pancks in Little Dorrit.)
4. Robert Downey Jr. just because he's RDJ (I still can't wrap my head around the fact that he's playing Holmes).
5. MARK STRONG IS IN THIS MOVIE (did I already mention that?)!!

Edit: Video removed from YouTube, post updated 8/18/11.