Sherlock Holmes

I have a theory, and it goes like this: Robert Downey Jr. + movie = instant entertainment. The man is a gold mine. Downey Jr. has become the white Will Smith. One can only hope that they will star together in a summer blockbuster down the line (take notes, Hollywood).

When I heard there was a movie in the works about Sherlock Holmes, I was pumped. I could barely hold in my excitement. Then I heard that Robert Downey Jr. was playing Sherlock Holmes (I still wet my bed thinking about it) and then the trailer came out and boy did I put that thing on repeat like it was Beyonce's "Single Ladies." And then I heard it was being directed by Guy Ritchie. Whoa! Red flag! The last movie I saw made by Guy Ritchie was "Rocknrolla." Check it out, great movie (if you like cracked-out snorefests bubbling in awful ideas and a plot that would make "Lost" producers go "huh?") But, being the savvy movie-goer I am, I decided to check it out anyways. And honestly, I wasn't disappointed.

If anyone out there has read any Sherlock Holmes stories, (don't worry if you haven't, that doesn't make you an uneducated nincompoop or anything. Seriously, it doesnt), the movie will feel like you have just stepped back into the book, like you never put it down. This isn't an origins story - Holmes and Watson are already friends, solved lots of mysteries that would make Scooby-Doo jealous and have a sweet little bromance thing going. They just solved a big mystery, concerning a certain Lord Blackwood who has killed a bunch of girls using black magic. They catch him in the act and send him to the noose. A few days later though, Blackwood rises from the dead and Holmes is called in to solve the case (again.)

If you haven't already guessed, I love Robert Downey Jr. He is the main selling point of this movie. The man steps into Holmes's shoes like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote him in. Downey creates a character much like Johnny Depp created for "Pirates of the Carribbean." Instantly memorable and a delight to watch while he interacts with the world around him.

Prepare for a lot of deducing, Holmes style. Prepare for witty dialogue and some of the best special effects this year. Slow-motion explosions somehow never get old. Prepare for clues that in retrospect seem obvious, but only if you were actually Sherlock Holmes could you spot them before they've been solved for you.

The storyline is a little convoluted at times and the movie doesn't have an incredible amount of re-watch value, but it's good to see Robert Downey Jr. doing what he does best: convincing me that he is someone else. Oh and Jude Law as Watson and Rachel McAdams as femme fatale Irene Adler ain't so bad either.

3 out of 4 stars

-Christopher O'Connell