No Shirt Sherlock (Murder by Decree (DVD))

Member Name: adambrown400

Product:	Murder by Decree (DVD)
Date:	01/11/09 (44 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great cast

Disadvantages: a tanned Holmes

I've seen quite a number of Sherlock Holmes films in the past and by all accounts this one does not fare well against the greats like Basil Rathbone. However, the film does have a much more authentic feel about it especially in its usage of London locales. Yes, theres a lot of matte paintings and models, but it feel much more realistic.

Again, theres also a lot of 'Cockerney' type characters who pop up in the film and are then unceremoniously disposed of.

There is also no explanation as to why Plummer has got such a great tan. Its unlikely that Holmes has managed to get a cheap break somewhere on the Costa Del Sol in 1885, so he must have been sunning it up somewhere on Baker Street. However saying that, Christopher Plummer makes for a good Holmes and while not totally in the same mould as his creator may have seen him he does make for a good action hero.

James Mason's Watson is also a good interpretation. Here he is much more of a bungling old doddery fool, but he plays off nicely to Plummer and the two make for a good team. Frank Finlay has very little to do as LeStrade and seems to have been just slotted in to please the Holmes fans. David Hemmings is also sidelined quite considerably even though he has quite a high billing on the credits.

In all, Murder by Decree is a good but not great film. I'm assuming that the new Sherlock Holmes film will be much the same as there are very few really good Holmes movies. In my mind you can't beat ITV's excellent series with Jeremy Brett in the lead role, I don't think anyone is ever going to get that close to a perfect interpretation as that. Plummer and Mason are a good team and the introduction of Jack the Ripper, while not terribly original, keeps the interest up and the action flowing nicely.

Summary: Pretty good