A Late Date

The other night over dinner I mentioned I wouldn't mind seeing the new Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey, Jr. The Hermit thought that sounded like a good idea and declared we should go see it for our anniversary. Never mind that our anniversary was back in August - we've been busy, okay? Actually we only semi-seriously latched onto an excuse to go out and made plans to see the late showing last night. On the ride over we realized that we really couldn't remember when we'd gone out on a movie date, only that it had been many many years.

Let me get the bitching out of the way. $15.50 for a movie ticket is obscene. 15 minutes of previews and ads - including one for a retirement village - is ridiculous. Kinda reminded me why we haven't been out to a movie in donkey years. And when did movie theatres get assigned seating? And is it really necessary for a movie that had 5 couples seeing it in a very musty-smelling theatre?

Other than that, however, I really enjoyed the movie. Let me acknowledge that I've never read any Sherlock Holmes stories, and my knowledge of Sherlock Holmes comes from popular culture and Star Trek:The Next Generation. So I have no idea if this take violates any Holmes canon or not. And quite frankly I don't care, because Robert Downey, Jr. is just... well... really effing hot. I've always had a thing for him, but he was off my radar until Ironman. And he totally owns this movie. Scruffy, manic, witty and just plain sexy. Sure the plot was thin in places, but 95% of the time Downey made you forget that. He even made me like Jude Law, who plays Watson, whom has never impressed me. I can't think of a single Jude Law movie I've enjoyed, until this one. I enjoyed all of the casting, with the exception of Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler. This was the only person to get the best of Holmes and is a "love interest"? They could've taken her out of the film and I don't think anyone would have missed her. There was really no chemistry between her character and Holmes.

But the chemistry between Holmes and Watson... I don't think the term bromance covers it, actually. It went just a wee bit beyond that... okay, maybe more than "wee bit". The line in the trailer by McAdams - "They've been flirting like this for hours" (1:58) - is apt (even if it's cut from the final film). But it's done in such a fun way that no one but the most committed homophobe would complain.

The movie ends neatly set up for a sequel. So two thumbs up from myself and The Hermit. It was well worth staying up past midnight for, although the ginormous over-priced Diet Coke I bought may have helped on that score.