Argument:

The film presents us with a different version than the one we were used to seeing on the big
screen until now. We forget about that character, Holmes, characterized by his clothes, his pipe
and especially by his famous phrase “elementary, my dear Watson”, and his dear friend Watson,
represented by a good-natured-looking man, who appears in the new version played by Robert
Downey Jr. like Sherlock Holmes, and they offer us a new vision, full of intrigue and action and the
occasional confrontation between the two friends. In this version we find a Sherlock Holmes with a
dissipated life and customs when he is not immersed in his investigations.

Although the story is a departure from previous adaptations of Sherlock Holmes, what they have
not wanted to suppress in any way is the Victorian London setting of the novels. Filming was done
practically entirely in England, especially in locations in London, Liverpool and Manchester. only a
few scenes were done in New York.

The film begins with a chase to find Lord Blackwood, leader of a dark Masonic sect with
unexplained powers. Holmes and Watson are the first to enter the crypt where Blackwood (Mark
Strong) performs a sacrificial ritual. The duo arrive in time and arrest Blackwood after a fight with
the guards.

Subsequently, due to the lack of detective stimuli, Holmes locks himself in his room, prey to
apathy and boredom, finding in alcohol the only incentive to continue forward. Watson finds him
in this state when two months later, worried about him, he comes to see him and invites Holmes
to the Royal to introduce him to his fiancée, Mary Morstan (Nelly Reilly); after Holmes tests his
deduction skills on her, going so far as to tell her that he is with the doctor only for his position and
money. Faced with these accusations, Watson and Mary leave offended.

Holmes then competes in a bare-knuckle boxing match against a professional whom he still beats
up. Later, Watson arrives at Baker Street, where he has a confrontation with Holmes over the
latter's attitude the day he introduced him to his fiancée, and announces that he plans to marry
her anyway.

The next day, Holmes wakes up harassed by Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) who asks him to look
for a pygmy named Reordon. The search for said character is accompanied by a series of events
that make the case one of the most sinister that the London detective has ever faced. Firstly,
Blackwood, after being executed, reappears as a specter, after leaving his grave, in which they find
Reordon instead of Blackwood.

Holmes and Watson, along with a homeless man named Tanner, travel to the Nine Elms factory to
report to Blackwood but fall into a trap at the slaughterhouse, where they must save Irene.
Watson pursues Blackwood but the factory explodes and everyone is injured, Sherlock performs a
pagan ritual to discover the villain's method thus concluding the murder of the members of
Parliament, he is arrested and taken to an American traitor named Coward.
Finally Sherlock escapes with Watson and Adler and they fight against Dredger's thugs to
deactivate the weapon hidden in Parliament. The climax occurs at Tower Bridge, where Sherlock
kills Blackwood, after which Irene reveals that he worked for Professor Moriaty.

The version of Sherlock Homes that we have in mind today, presented in two installments (2009-
2011), is based on a story written by Lionel Wigram, later adapted into a comic with illustrations by
John Watkiss. It characterizes the character more as an adventure hero, somewhat bohemian and
close to a James Bond set in the Victorian era, than the one we have had as a cinematographic
reference for many decades in which the cliché has been repeated, just as the Watkiss himself
points out.

The story of the first film begins with the introduction of the characters, taking the basics of Conan
Doyle's story. It focuses on the relationship between the detective and the doctor and the
dependency that is established between them, showing how Holmes' selfishness drives most of
the actions, which are supported by Watson, because of his love of adventure.

It has confusing moments, but it is very entertaining due to the good acting of its two protagonists
and the overall approach given by director Guy Ritchie. The personification of Robert Downey Jr.
as a detective gives Shelock Holmes a bohemian air different from what we are used to, although
close to the representation made by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; just like that of his inseparable
colleague Dr. Watson (Jude Law). They have a peculiar relationship with many moments of
arguments and fights, more faithful to the stories than to other film versions. The doctor is much
more active, participates in events, and is not, as in other adaptations, a mere observer. The
relationship between him and Holmes is one of the most interesting points of the entire film,
where a certain love/hate tension between the two is evident, created basically because they both
know that they depend on each other and that they could not be separated. This revision of the
character presents a contemporary, casual Holmes, who leans on his colleague, dresses disheveled
but charming, and covers his head with a bowler hat reminiscent of Chaplin's.

He talks non-stop, participates in bloody boxing matches, fights with a sword and hates doctors;
He is analytical down to the last detail, somewhat haughty and at times seems apathetic. It is
located in a Victorian London in the midst of the industrial revolution; with work on the Thames
River bridge, with buildings under construction covered by screens, stairs and bricklayers. He walks
through stinking alleys. We are offered images that show the conservative morality of the time,
with police repression against drug addicts, prostitutes and thugs. Likewise, pseudo-religious sects
with bloody ritual murders are present; shrouded in magic, mystery, demonic practices and
esoteric beliefs. Masonic-influenced plot that owes something to From Hell, a graphic novel about
Jack the Ripper created by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. The whole of this version distances us
from the previous iconography of the character.

It has more action than reflection, black humor, irreverence. The film incorporates resources that
emphasize certain sequences of the story: The use of slow motion, forward flash, short shots,
subjective camera, etc. It incorporates a mix of many elements from the literary and
cinematographic tradition, sometimes without much success but as a whole, they are attractive
and full of creativity. We cannot neglect the precious representation of the city of London because
it is highly spectacular.

sherlock holmes : A Game of Shadows (2011) continues the story of Sherlock Holmes (2009) with
the couple formed by Holmes/Downey Jr. and Watson/Law as protagonists.

The story begins with some events that occur a few months after the end of the first part. Now, it
incorporates the presence of the unscrupulous villain, Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris),
previously only suggested, as well as that of Sherlock's brother, Mycroft Holmes, one of Conan
Doyle's most charismatic characters, Mycroft Holmes (Stephen Fry). , other characters continue,
repeating with the same actors previously assigned.