Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock Holmes

[elionwyr]

Official trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUQbmFAE5WI

Ok, so.
I adore RDJ. I think he's brilliant. I've loved just about everything I've ever seen him do and I have no doubt that he's done very thorough research into this role.

But he's not Sherlock Holmes.

I've watched the trailer a few times, and it looks like massive fun, but..he's too damn pretty, there's too much action, and he kisses a lady? Is left handcuffed in bed?

Even when I was writing Holmes fanfic as a teenager, I didn't go there.

And, to steal a phrasing from the Whovians, Jeremy Brett is "my" Holmes.

I'll watch this movie, and I already love the merchandising, but I rather wish they'd just gone with some other generic new detective and not Holmes.

ETA: It is a sad, sad testament to my geekitude that, while filling out this contest entry and seeing the title of "Prof" was listed in a drop down menu, I immediately wanted to fill out an entry for Prof Moriarity.

(Please let there be a few of you reading who would want to do the same thing.)

Comments

[s00j.livejournal.com]

"(Please let there be a few of you reading who would want to do the same thing.)"

**raises her little hand**

[elionwyr.livejournal.com]

And thus is my faith in LJ restored.
**love**

(In 11th grade, I was told - in all seriousness - that I was the area's expert on Sherlock Holmes. How lonely! So this response, and those from others, mean a lot.)

[hughcasey.livejournal.com]

I would absolutely want to do the same thing. :-)

And I do think that Downey seems to have captured Holmes' ARROGANCE, which was such a HUGE part of his personality! And it does seem that he has his unflapable nature and his very dry sense of humor down.

I agree that it's mis-casting, though. He'll do well, but it'll be IN SPITE OF his mis-casting, not because he fits the role.

I do like Jude Law as Watson, though... but I almost think he might make a better Holmes.

[elionwyr.livejournal.com]

Mm..well, I think his interpretation of the humour is not on target. I was hoping that this was another 'oh no Tom Cruise is NOT Lestat' kind of thing, but after watching the trailer a few times...even if they put ALL the racy crap into the trailer...I don't think he fits.

Reinventing Watson by casting Jude Law is interesting - again, still not true to canon, but...Well. I'll watch the film (whenever I can afford a ticket) and it'll be fun, I'll just try to think of him as Sherlock Holmes' OTHER younger brother.

[malinaldarose.livejournal.com]

Now, I should preface this by saying that my exposure to Sherlock Holmes is almost entirely Jeremy Brett. I've read a few Holmes stories. Oh, and there was Young Sherlock Holmes, which I rather liked. But.

When I saw that trailer the first time, I just stared at the screen. "Ummmmm, what? Robert Downey, Jr.? Really? What are you people smoking?"

[elionwyr.livejournal.com]

Ya know, I really liked Young Sherlock Holmes until halfway through when it dropped any pretense of being a Victorian tale. But it's certainly fun and I enjoyed the re-invention of the character.

(Peter Cushing also did a good Holmes - vocally, he's probably closer than Brett, though again Brett is my Holmes and I know he really really cared about staying true to Doyle's work.)

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

I mainly like Young Sherlock Holmes for its score. VERY, almost ridiculously, memorable. I like Bruce Broughton.

It's gonna take a lot to get me excited about this new film. /obligatory reference to the original topic of this entry

[adelheid-p.livejournal.com]

Jeremy Brett was the definitive Sherlock Holmes both dergeis and I agree. We are interested in this interpretation but I doubt the RDJr will change my mind.

[elionwyr.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it'll be fun and exciting and RDJ is always brilliant.

My current thinking is that I'll go in with the assumption that this is Sherlock Holmes' OTHER younger brother, in the opposite direction that Gene Wilder took.

[celtic_maenad]

I wanna see it. But I'm gonna go in with the idea that it's a pretty steampunk fantasy, whose main characters simply have familiar names. It's really not anything to do with Sherlock Holmes. :)

[elionwyr.livejournal.com]

*nod* Exactly.
(People have been saying to me, "Oh, I bet you're so excited about this movie!" And I've sorta struggled with what to say.. but this says it very well. Thank you.)

[celtic_maenad]

but of course! Because I *am* excited about the movie - just... not because it's a Holmes movie. :P

[rheastarr.livejournal.com]

damn, went to but only open to the states.... oh boo...

[elionwyr.livejournal.com]

Oh noes! I didn't think of that.
Does this work?
http://www.straight.com/article-275223/vancouver/guy-ritchie-finds-happy-holmes