¬¬I have heard it argued on several on¬¬-line forums that the Robert Downey/Jude Law films mark a Sherlock Holmes Renaissance, that they will inspire many fans to read the original stories for the first time and create a new appreciation of Arthur Conan Doyle. I disagree. The people who love the films are mostly young male adrenalin junkies looking for thrills. What they like about the movies are the giant explosions, the wild car (or rather carriage) chases, cataclysmic train crashes, fist fights, shootings, stabbings, and Sherlock as a sort of English Ninja, Kung Fuing his way through the mean streets of Victorian London. But when they turn to the stories they will find very little violence in most of them and in many not even a crime. I think that most who love the original stories (myself include) will hate the movies while those most enthusiastic about the films will think that Doyle’s writing is boring and old fashioned.
Posted on: Sun, 13 Apr 2014 17:55:33 +0000