Guy Ritchie films with Robert Downey, Jr.

[aely]

Me? I love them.

 

I was very shallowly interested in seeing what RDJ would do with the character having decided that he was most definitely worth looking at in Iron Man - had never paid much attention to him before that.

 

 

I also squeaked at various intervals in the first one because I recognised bits of Liverpool, but I do that for pretty much any film where it isn't obvious.

 

I'm not very good about being constructively critical when I love something as I tend to get swept away on a tide of OMG LOVE THIS and don't really notice the shortcomings.

 

I did have a 'but they didn't know how to do that back then!' moment in the second film with regards to a certain medically-related procedure but that's me all over.

[Banshee]

Well, at least that was one "that's not possible" moment, which is much better than other shows have fared recently

[Lirael]

I liked them, they were fun.

 

I rememberfinding flaws in the plot but I forgot what they were...

 

RDJ and JL were very different from how I imagined Holmes and Watson to be like, but that made the movie interesting and a bit refreshing. The fact that they didn't try to start the movie at the beginning of their partnership was fun and I laughed at their bickering. It's a pity that there was no character development (that I noticed at least), because I love that.

.

[Erika]

I'm a bit luke-warm to the Ritchie movies. I think that they are fun and entertaining. But they almost didn't seem like Sherlock Holmes to me. I saw the first movie after watching Sherlock and only reading A Study in Scarlet, so I really didn't have that much experience with the material. But it was very action packed with fighting left right and centre, and explosions. So I saw this to be the main focus rather then it being a crime mystery.

 

I know it was explained in the story, but the supernatural elements took me a bit out of the story. I don't know how to describe this, but I like my movies to feel realistic, like they could have happened. I feel like the canon Sherlock Holmes could be true stories. The movie just felt glitzed up by Hollywood.

 

I enjoyed the onscreen chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, but I've never been too much of a fan of either actor... which gave me a cerain bias. Bad. And as you know, I see everything in slash goggles, and heck you didn't even need those to see the relationship between Holmes/Watson! So that was fun.

 

To be honest, I've only seen each of them once through but I'm going to have to watch them again.

[EvigMidnat]

I've not seen number 2 but number was was pretty cool. not as eye grabbing as BBC though

[Punch me in the face]

I'm a bit luke-warm to the Ritchie movies. I think that they are fun and entertaining. But they almost didn't seem like Sherlock Holmes to me. I saw the first movie after watching Sherlock and only reading A Study in Scarlet, so I really didn't have that much experience with the material. But it was very action packed with fighting left right and centre, and explosions. So I saw this to be the main focus rather then it being a crime mystery.

 

I've got to admit I haven't seen the second film yet, but I agree with you- the movies are rather focused on the action. I found the first film entertaining, but not quite as thrilling as BBC Sherlock.

[Lirael]

The second film felt as if made after the following conversation:

 

Producer 1: so...we need to make more money this time.

Producer 2: hum...those Michael Bay movies earn a lot, what does he put in them?

Producer 1: Huh...hot chicks, robots and explosions

Producer 2: huh, ok then we'll add explosions but we'll

kill off the hot chick we had.

 

Producer 1: Why??

Producer 2: she wears too much clothes and I've discovered a new demographic that'll absolutely by anything Sherlock Holmes if we do it right: fangirls.

Producer 1: hum...how will you do that?

Producer 2: easy,

I'll have Watson and Holmes look at each other like that John and Sherlock do on that BBC series. If that's not enough, we'll have Watson going ballistic when Holmes looks dead, Holmes depressed while the other gets married and if that's too subtle for those madwomen, we'll top it all with Holmes crashing Watson's honeymoon dressed as woman, throwing out the wife, and then spooning with Watson on the floor!

 

Producer 1: I think that's a bit too much sir...

Producer 2: who cares? I want my money!

Edited March 19, 2012 by Lirael

[Sherlocked]

See, I'm not sure if I like them or not.

When I first saw them I was like OMYGOSHILOVETHIS *Drool*

But I just can't watch them a second time through. I just get bored.

 

I did like the whole Sherlock Holmes/Action Man thing that RDJ had going on though. It's an interesting take on SH, and I think that it did work.

[believeinsherlock]

I haven't seen the second one yet because I totally missed it when it came out at the cinema...so I'm waiting for it to come out on DVD, it's on my Love Film list. So I can only really comment on the first film, which I went to see at the cinema when it first came out (before I'd seen any BBC Sherlock), and OH MY GOD, I really loved it! I liked the way that even though it was still set in the 1800s it seemed still to be slick and modern, and it was an interpretation of Sherlock Holmes's character that I hadn't seen before. I liked the way he was a mean fighter and all those trick camera shots the way they slow the camera down and let you know what he's thinking and planning before he does it, then he does it all in one swift move. Thought that was all great stuff and very Sherlock. People forget that even canon Sherlock is an excellent fighter and a physically strong and fit guy.

 

Really looking forward to second one...I believe it has Moriarty and Moran in it. Oh yes.

[Sherlocked]

Yes it does have Moriarty and Moran in.

But Andrew Scott has forever ruined any other interpretation of Moriarty for me!

 

I thought that the second was better than the first. It's very funny as well.

[aiRR]

I love them!!! I think that they are different from the BBC ones, but Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law have created a good couple!!

It's another way of seeing Sherlock, and It's pretty good!

[Baskerville]

Speaking of the Guy Ritchie-films; I thought I'd check out the trailer for the upcoming Blu-ray/DVD of "A Game of Shadows", and came across this:

 

 

Looks...interesting..

[deducingtoconclusions]

Definitely love-hate for me. I understand that since it's a big Hollywood production, they needed action and romance... but I can't help but feel annoyed at the romance between Adler and Holmes and how there seemed to be a lot more kicking and punching than deducing. I love Sherlock (among many other things) because of how true it is to the book, which is a really important factor to me.

[Undead Medic]

there seemed to be a lot more kicking and punching than deducing.

 

 

This was one thing that stood out for me when I watched the first movie, (I've still to catch the second, (I know bad fan!) ) how at times it seemed as if they'd completely missed the point of what makes Holmes... well Holmes!

 

[believeinsherlock]

Yeah I would tend to agree with you on that point. Sherlock Holmes isn't James Bond...it's about mystery, intrigue, working things out in an intelligent manner...Yes, it has action and fighting but not loads of it.

[Ideduce]

His Sherlock is very cleaver and witty I give him that. However the canon Sherlock didn't jump into a fight if he could help it, he had other methods. He's an actiony Holmes a bit too actiony. Though it helps sell the films. His relationship with Mrs. Adler really threw me off. I didn't mind the attraction they had but for him to have had a bigger past with her made him far to social for my liking. Especially when he has trust issues with women or is suppose to.

 

John....Perfection. If Guy did anything right it was John Watson. He looked like the book version of John Watson, he acted like John Watson, Jude Law is and was perfect as John Watson.

 

So I'm a bit sad with their Holmes however for movie's sake I'll let it go. I enjoyed the movies and saw both 3 times in theaters and a few more times on blue ray when they came out.

[Alice Holmes]

All right people, you know the drill. How do we feel about Downey's performance of Holmes, and Jude Law as Watson?

I must say, I was singularly impressed by the both of them. I was initially surprised that they cast an American as Holmes, but was relieved to hear that he worked at his accent a little more than most Americans seem to.

Jude Law as Watson...Hotson more like. So beautiful. ^_^ I was pleased that Guy Ritchie had an accurate picture in his head! I am sick of heavy, pocketwatchy Watsons!

So, opinions, please!

Edited January 10, 2014 by Carol the Dabbler
This post was originally the start of a second GR/RDJ thread

[InGenHarborMaster]

I think they did a very good job portraying the characters. I mean every adaptation of this series is going to be different but Im glad that this one works so well. I agree with you about the Watson thing, it seems as though they always make him big and kind of like an old man.

[Ideduce]

Jude Law was perfect

I love RDJ and I don't think we could really hire an american actor that would fit Holmes at all, hell I'm surprised he managed to play the role as well as he did. Their adaptation was more actiony Holmes. Even in one of the interviews Robert says I doubt Holmes is the type of person to raise his voice at little things and most big things, but I did it anyway. I agree with him but the fact he knows that makes me smile and let it go. It was in the script what could he do also it made the movie. I've seen many adaptations ofr Hound of the Baskerviles.....Most of which put me to sleep. A sign in four....Put me to sleep. I've been so conditioned with special effects and explosions that I almost require it in my movies. The first movie had aspects of a whodonit well more of a how'd he do it feel. The second movie it was pretty obvious how who and what was all going on.

The writing was good in the movie. I don't hate RDJ as Holmes but......I don't know it's not the same.

[Alice Holmes]

Okay. So, what exactly "wasn't the same about it?" You say you didn't hate RDJ as Holmes, but it wasn't the same. How?

[Ideduce]

The way he was written up I believed more of a quiet John was the louder of the two until he spoke to explain something. I think the better tv depiction of him is of Jeremy Brett.

[Alice Holmes]

Ahh, Jeremy Brett. I wrote the forum's topic on him too...

 

And that's a very good point, by the way.

[InGenHarborMaster]

I found this very cool website that has images that someone created. These are very, very col if I do say so!

 

 

http://www.graphic-exchange.com/exellence/prologue.htm

[Alice Holmes]

Oh yes, those are good. I did especially like the credits for the film. Great artwork.

[Our Division]

I felt like Sherlock sticks a little closer to Sherlock's original personality, and that the RDJ version was more RDJ as RDJ than RDJ as Sherlock. It totally worked in Iron Man, as Tony Stark doesn't have much of a personality in the comic books and Downey was the best thing that happened to that franchise, but Sherlock's pretty established already.

That being said, I loved the movie. I loved the soundtrack, I loved the acting, I loved Downey drinking eye surgery fluid as a subtle reference to the original morphine, I loved the dog, I loved Mary Morstan. I LOVED IT. IT ROCKED.