A study in Sherlock

Case reopened. Those were the final words from 2009’s Sherlock Holmes. There was still work to be done as “the real” villain of the story had just been revealed. It was incomplete. We wanted more of Sherlock. Fast-forward two years later, director Guy Ritchie returns with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law playing Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson respectively. This time, Sherlock Holmes meets the Joker to his Batman in Professor James Moriarty, played by Jared Harris.

What makes this sequel better than the first movie is that we get a real villain who outsmarts Sherlock Holmes. Moriarty is dubbed as the “Napoleon of Crime.” The man is a genius and controls a criminal ring under his belt and Scotland Yard has no way of proving Moriarty guilty. What separates good villains from great villains is that the great ones know how to hit you where it hurts the most: your loved ones. In this case, Moriarty knows everything about Sherlock Holmes and thus Dr. and Mrs. Watson get affected in the process. Jared Harris was an excellent Moriarty. He has this smile that’s so fiendish and devilish that he sells being the bad guy so well. What entertained us was seeing the heroes work real hard to bring the villain to justice. Counter to Harris, Robert Downey Jr. plays the role of Sherlock with his natural charm and confidence just right as to not undermine Jude Law’s Dr. Watson. What’s good about Guy Ritchie’s version is he gives equal time to show what makes Holmes and Watson so cool.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is definitely a better movie than the first film. If you liked the 2009 film, this one will give you much satisfaction. It has the elements of the first film but with more flare. There’s an excellent mystery, cool heroes, and a real badass villain. You really can’t ask for anything more.

BBC’s Sherlock

BBC’s Sherlock is easily one of the best shows out there. Granted the stories the show is based on have been there for more than a century. But that’s not why the show is a hit. If it was all about the source material then there would be no need for the show. No, the secret of Sherlock’s success, when it comes down to it, is rather elementary.

First off, casting the right people. Sherlock Holmes is arguably one of the most recognizable names in all of literature and pop culture, and so one would need an actor talented enough to make it his own. What Christopher Reeve did for Superman, any actor must do for Holmes. In walks Benedict Cumberbatch, a relative unknown in Hollywood and even more so in our part of the Pacific. But don’t let that fool you. By the end of the first episode, Cumberbatch makes Sherlock fully realized and current. The eccentricities of Holmes come alive in Cumberbatch’s performance, but don’t mistake it for slapstick humor; more like a natural part of the genius of Sherlock Holmes. Cumberbatch adds just the right amount of humanity to the character to make him relatable and superior to us at the same time. Brilliant!

What would Sherlock be without Watson, and Cumberbatch without an actor to perfectly compliment his performance? Enter: Martin Freeman. Known for his role as Tim in The Office (UK) or as the lead in A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy or soon as Bilbo Baggins in December’s The Hobbit, Freeman gives us a near perfect Dr. John Watson. Freeman’s everyman quality and simplicity blends well with Cumberbatch’s poetic madness. His Watson leads and guides us into the world of Sherlock, and every step of the way is a pleasure. With each episode, Freeman gets better and better and by the time the first season ends, you might just like him more than the Consulting Detective himself.

No matter how good the talent is, the story needs to be just as good. Thankfully, it is. No surprise actually, considering the talent involved. The show’s co-creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are pure geniuses. Steven Moffat comes to Sherlock in the middle of being the creator of the new Doctor Who. If you’ve been hearing how good Doctor Who has been these last two years, it’s greatly due to Moffat and his writing. Moffat also wrote the screenplay for Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin. While Mark Gatiss, aside from playing Mycroft Holmes in the show, is an accomplished author, actor, and part of the award-winning comedy team, The League of Gentlemen. Together they provide the show with the wit, drama, action, and intelligence it deserves.

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What were your thoughts on the movie? Did you prefer it to the BBC show? Send us an e-mail at jiggyandjonty@gmail.com and let us know.