For a slightly different take on Sherlock Holmes, this one has it's entertaining moments, but I think the 'hook' that was supposed to define the detective's sexuality didn't work. Hints of his being gay were done away with rather handily after Holmes dismisses Madame Petrova's attempt to get him to sire a brilliant and beautiful child. Comparing himself to gay composer Tchaikovsky in the sexual preference department worked to rid himself of a sticky dilemma; at least he wasn't too old like Tolstoy or too German like Nietzsche.
This is a rather weird story, what with midgets, a drowning woman, an assortment of mysterious monks, a submarine and the Loch Ness monster. Oddly, the elements all tie together in a rather curious fashion, so if one is patient, Holmes and Watson eventually end up solving their mystery, with a big hand from brother Mycroft (Christopher Lee). Actually, if you think about it, it was Mycroft pulling the strings for a good part of this story.
Surprisingly, Robert Stephens makes for an acceptable Holmes, looking the part better than his assistant Watson, portrayed by Colin Blakely. The script doesn't treat Watson as a buffoon in the manner of Nigel Bruce's characterization when working with Basil Rathbone, but he does have his manic moments. Die-hard Sherlock Holmes fans may take offense at this take on the character, but if you dig an off beat story, you've come to the right place.
This is a rather weird story, what with midgets, a drowning woman, an assortment of mysterious monks, a submarine and the Loch Ness monster. Oddly, the elements all tie together in a rather curious fashion, so if one is patient, Holmes and Watson eventually end up solving their mystery, with a big hand from brother Mycroft (Christopher Lee). Actually, if you think about it, it was Mycroft pulling the strings for a good part of this story.
Surprisingly, Robert Stephens makes for an acceptable Holmes, looking the part better than his assistant Watson, portrayed by Colin Blakely. The script doesn't treat Watson as a buffoon in the manner of Nigel Bruce's characterization when working with Basil Rathbone, but he does have his manic moments. Die-hard Sherlock Holmes fans may take offense at this take on the character, but if you dig an off beat story, you've come to the right place.