Sherlock Holmes first came to print as a series of short stories in 1891, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyal. Many different actors have portrayed the famous sleuth over the years from Peter Cushing to a mouse in a Disney cartoon. This time around we have Robert Downey Jr. He is joined by Jude Law as Dr.Watson and Rachel McAdams as the femme fatale Irene Adler. Holmes is on the case to stop Lord Henry Blackwood (Mark Strong) who does not seem to be able to stay dead, from destroying the British government. This film does not act as an origin story since Holmes is so well know. It does as the first chapter in what hopes to be a new series of films, hopefully staring Robert Downey Jr. The film sets the tone in the dark and dirty turn of the century factory era of  London. It has a quality to it that makes it seem so real, but you look to the back ground and its got so much CGI that the scenery takes it away from being a FANTASTIC film. Thats not to say its a bad film. Downey is not your grandma’s Sherlock he is a new take on the character but not over doing it that die-hard fans can’t say that they hate the film. Jude Law never seems over shadowed in the film by Downey’s performance. He does a perfect job of being Holme’ sidekick, but at the same time being his own man and portraying the character brilliantly. McAdams is so hot and fresh on-screen she pulls off the villainess in distress so well.  The film defiantly sets itself up for a sequel as we get a taste of Professor Moriarty, the long time Holmes villan from the stories.

I viewd the film a the Entertainment Cinema in Leominster MA to a very packed house on New Years Day.I definitely look forward to the sequel in 2012.