Sherlock Holmes-Critics

Its no secret that movie critics are often disliked by the general public. They not only get to watch movies for free, they get paid to do it which is something most people would love to do. They are also said to be narrow-minded and only like oscar worthy films while dismissing everything else. This is not necessarly true. There have been many times when a film has been beloved by both audiences and critics. However, it is almost impossible to please everyone which is the case with the film Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes was directed by Guy Ritchie and was released on December 25, 2009 starring Robert Downy Jr and Jude Law. The story revolves around the famous detective as he sets out to solve a series of murders along with his sidekick John Watson. The films has been mostly liked by audiences along with critics. At rottentomatoes.com, the films has a 69% approval rating with 137 positive reviews and 63 negative reviews. It is said that films in which movies are based on are never as good as the original work. While the movie is not a direct story from one of its novels, turning the famous icon into a movie character is no easy task. There have been many different opinions on whether or not Sherlock Holmes is an entertaining and thought provoking film or just a big mess.

While the film has received mostly compliments, many critics have had a problem with its story. Critic Stephen Silver says "The plot of Sherlock Holmes is so needlessly complex and nonsensical that you'll try to understand, but eventually give up, since its not worth it." Having a good story is essential to a mysfilm like this, because it requires the audience to want to play along and solve the case along with its protagonists. Just like reading a mystery book, it should put the viewer on edge and make them anxious to find out the answers. Some critics say that the makers of the film should have gone with one of the stories that made the titular character such a classic in the first place, while others applaud them for trying to make Sherlock feel new and original. While its story and plot has some problems, Sherlock Holmes has been praised for its writing and script. Fellow critic Alex Zane writes that watching the two leads, Holmes and Watson, converse with eachother is the film's strongest appeal. This is mostly thanks to the chemistry and delivery of its stars.

Another way this film has divided audiences and critics is its approach in bringing Holmes to life. Most think of him as an ordinary man with a bowler hat and pipe in hand. Instead the film makers opted to go with a more gritty Fight Club style in which Holmes is more of an action hero than a detective. While this may cause some to be turned off, it does allow for some great chases and fights to take place. All in all, Sherlock Holmes is a film that can be highly enjoyed by everyone depending on their tastes and style of prefernce in watching a mystery or action movie.