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The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 20/5/2012 4:28:17 PM

DONOVAN KURTWOOD

Posts: 7670
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From: PLANET G

No thread? I didn't see Sherlock Holmes at the cinema (nor its sequel) and caught them both on Blu Ray. I loved the first and love the second even more (despite many proclaiming it's the lesser movie). I agree that with the 2nd, Ritchie took a serious turn towards more of an action blockbuster than staying true to the original Holmes but i'm fine with that. We have the Cumberbatch version for brain food still.

I really love what Ritchie has done with Holmes in this series and seriously hope he returns for a third movie. His visual style really adds a lot to these films. Moments like the woods chase from part 2, the dock explosion from part 1 and the pre-vision that Holmes goes through in general are just fantastic. Ritchie works wonderfully with visuals and is very imaginative.

I'm not a huge RDJ fan but actually really like his take on Holmes and he really blew me away in the first movie. Same for Jude Law, who i've never been overly enamoured with in the past but makes for a great Watson. Love their back n forth banter, even if it is slightly too comedic in a couple of moments in the 2nd movie. Also i do love the addition of Stephen Fry in part 2, someone who i've always felt was way overrated, but he makes a fabulous Mycroft. Both Mark Strong and Jared Harris give great performances as the key villains so far and the ladies hold their own in the shape of Rachel Macadams and the absolutely divine Noomi Rapace.

Any fans here?

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 20/5/2012 8:18:19 PM

UTB

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Joined: 30/9/2005

Watched number 2 today. The chase/shootout in the forest was easily one of the best action set pieces I've seen in a long time. The use of slow motion really worked.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 20/5/2012 8:28:59 PM

DONOVAN KURTWOOD

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i absolutely agree, that scene was immense.

What did you think of the movie as a whole though? I'd read a lot of negative reviews for it before seeing it, but i loved it even more than the first.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 20/5/2012 8:39:58 PM

UTB

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quote:

ORIGINAL: DONOVAN KURTWOOD

i absolutely agree, that scene was immense.

What did you think of the movie as a whole though? I'd read a lot of negative reviews for it before seeing it, but i loved it even more than the first.

I liked it. First time I've seen it as I said so it will need a few more watches before I like it as much as the first (which was terrific). There was quite a few comedic moments which worked well but I didn't think them too comedic or overplayed. The pre-wedding sequence had me laughing, the state of Watson in the car being dragged out and then after the ceremony Holmes telling the villain to move aside and honking the horn, nice little touches like that.

I thought the use of Mr Fry was a bit obvious (especially as Moriarty was sublime casting) but maybe thats a result of watching QI too much.

Kudos to Ritchie though, it was a great sequel.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 20/5/2012 8:42:07 PM

DONOVAN KURTWOOD

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Joined: 6/10/2005
From: PLANET G

quote:

ORIGINAL: UTB

quote:

ORIGINAL: DONOVAN KURTWOOD

i absolutely agree, that scene was immense.

What did you think of the movie as a whole though? I'd read a lot of negative reviews for it before seeing it, but i loved it even more than the first.

I liked it. First time I've seen it as I said so it will need a few more watches before I like it as much as the first (which was terrific). There was quite a few comedic moments which worked well but I didn't think them too comedic or overplayed. The pre-wedding sequence had me laughing, the state of Watson in the car being dragged out and then after the ceremony Holmes telling the villain to move aside and honking the horn, nice little touches like that.

I thought the use of Mr Fry was a bit obvious (especially as Moriarty was sublime casting) but maybe thats a result of watching QI too much.

Kudos to Ritchie though, it was a great sequel.

Glad you liked it mate! I'm not really a Stephen Fry fan per se, and dont watch any of his stuff, but i did very much enjoy him in the movie. I'm a huge Jared Harris fan too, just wish he could've been in the movie a bit more!

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 21/5/2012 1:37:57 AM

Gimli The Dwarf

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I love these two films, brilliant fun. Can't wait for more.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 21/5/2012 9:17:52 AM

NCC1701A

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Really liked the first one but found the the sequel to be very disappointing.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 21/5/2012 12:04:22 PM

jcthefirst

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From: Bangor

I'm not the biggest fan of these films.

I love RDJ as Holmes, with all the swagger and bravado, yet the film(s) as a whole never really click for me.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 22/5/2012 3:42:32 PM

st3veebee

Posts: 2354
Joined: 3/9/2006
From: 9303 Lyon Drive

I have a like/dislike relationship with these. They're....not really Sherlock Holmes films, are they? When I treat them as stupid fun adventure flicks I quite like them:

-Great chemistry between RDJ and Jude Law

-Good Set pieces and loads of action.

-Terrific bad guys in Harris and Strong.

However when I think about how he is supposed to be super-sleuth Holmes: the master of deduction...I just wonder why they didn't use another famous character or simply create their own.

I'm fairly alone in this opinion: but I really think RDj does a pretty awful English accent. you can always tell because he never ever raises his voice, instead goes for barely audible mumbling. I like him but not his accent.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 22/5/2012 3:47:13 PM

MartinBlank76

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Both are good fun and I had the strange effect of liking the sequel the same amount as the first one. Usually sequels end up being worse or better but I walked out of it feeling exactly the same as when I walked out of the original.

First one had the better female lead though. And now that I think of it maybe I am a little bit less enthused with the second one because I was expecting it to maybe improve on the first one, whereas it ended up as more of the same. I havent really though much about it much since.

Best thing about both : Jude Law as Dr Watson in probably his most likable role, well, ever.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 22/5/2012 5:22:17 PM

Spaldron

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The first film was very enjoyable and the sequel probably was better although my major gripe was that it needed more actual sleuthing and less explosions.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 22/5/2012 7:12:41 PM

DONOVAN KURTWOOD

Posts: 7670
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From: PLANET G

quote:

ORIGINAL: Spaldron

The first film was very enjoyable and the sequel probably was better although my major gripe was that it needed more actual sleuthing and less explosions.

Does not compute!

Seriously though, i agree its weird for a Sherlock Holmes movie to be so action heavy. It's a tricky one as i do love my action.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 23/5/2012 4:02:34 PM

Zaphod121

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I found the first entertaining enough but nothing really special, the second one imo was much improved and much more enjoyable.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 24/5/2012 6:43:07 PM

Dr Lenera

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LOVE these films, and I say that as a bit of a Sherlock Holmes fan, I mean I have all the Doyle stories, the Rathbones, the Bretts etc. As I suppose a bit of a purist, I was expecting to hate the first movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, I mean why shouldn't Holmes be depicted in a different way. For me there was certainly enough of a Holmes flavour, the film was great fun, and the two leads were terrific, with even Jude Law giving a good performance! As for the second movie, it was the perfect sequel; bigger, louder, faster, funnier. Guy Ritchie's direction was superb and quite innovative.

I'd like to see more, though wasn't the second one a bit of a commercial disappoinment?

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 24/5/2012 6:50:02 PM

DONOVAN KURTWOOD

Posts: 7670
Joined: 6/10/2005
From: PLANET G

im not sure how much the sequel made Dr but i have the same impression, critically and commercially it didnt do as well. This needs to be a trilogy though at least!

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 25/5/2012 2:15:23 PM

Cool Breeze

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Liked the first in a throwaway entertainment manner.Havnt seen the second yet but looking forward to checking it out.Jude Law as Watson is probably the first time iv ever liked him in anything.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 27/5/2012 3:08:33 PM

Zaphod121

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quote:

ORIGINAL: DONOVAN KURTWOOD

im not sure how much the sequel made Dr but i have the same impression, critically and commercially it didnt do as well. This needs to be a trilogy though at least!

A third one was announced ages ago.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 28/5/2012 11:10:28 AM

st3veebee

Posts: 2354
Joined: 3/9/2006
From: 9303 Lyon Drive

Because they are so ludicrously enjoyable a third film would be most welcome. I'd love a single
location, manor-type setting, with of course tons of action. And less Stephen Fry nude.

According to boxoffficemojo the sequel made 543 million, about 10 million more than the first. Seems decent: what was the budget?

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 7/6/2012 3:00:22 PM

The Hooded Man

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Not the biggest fan of these at all, I wonder how much of that is down to the presence of the fantastic BBC show though? I'm always making comparisons between the two and where the Beeb's version is clever and intricate this seems like very loud and brash in comparison. It doesn't help that it has a very generic feel to proceedings. Holmes was always about story and plot but Ritchie's films feel like an excuse to move from one setpiece to the next. It doesn't help though that RDJ (who is not bad at all in the role) seems to be able to see into the future, he's practically psychic, rather than have keen detective skills.

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 7/6/2012 9:30:52 PM

DONOVAN KURTWOOD

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From: PLANET G

Oh Noomi

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RE: The RDJ Sherlock Holmes Series - 12/6/2012 8:53:04 PM

DazDaMan

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I think they're good fun - not seen the second one in a while but will give it a bash again soon.

In my opinion, though, they should have saved Moriarty for the final act of a trilogy. Could see where Ritchie was going with his introduction in this movie, long before it actually happened.

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