Am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and get a lot of enjoyment out of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. Also love Basil Rathbone's and especially Jeremy Brett's interpretations to death. So would naturally see any Sherlock Holmes adaptation that comes my way, regardless of its reception.
Furthermore, interest in seeing early films based on Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories and wanting to see as many adaptations of any Sherlock Holmes stories as possible sparked my interest in seeing 'Sherlock: Case of Evil', especially one featuring Holmes' arch-nemesis Moriaty. It was intriguing to see Sherlock Holmes in his youth.
There are better Sherlock Holmes-related films/adaptations certainly than 'Sherlock: A Case of Evil', the best of the Jeremy Brett adaptations and films of Basil Rathone fit under this category. It is to me, and quite a few others it seems, one of the worst Sherlock Holmes adaptations along with all the Matt Frewer films (particularly 'The Sign of Four') and also much better than the abominable Peter Cook 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'.
Understand what 'Sherlock: Case of Evil' was going for. It just didn't work for me.
There are good things. The costumes, landscapes and sets are evocative and handsome. A few nice Conan Doyle touches.
While most of the acting disappoints, Richard E. Grant does a fine job as Mycroft and Roger Morlidge achieves a balance of the bumbling and the loyal.
However, James D'Arcy is incredibly bland as Holmes, very little charisma or arrogance. Gabrielle Anwar is basically little more than window dressing. On the other side of the acting spectrum, the usually great Vincent D'Onofrio is as hammy a Moriaty one can get and this is not meant in a good way. The dynamic between the two never works as a result. Lestrade, even for someone who's not the brightest person in the world and that's putting it mildly, is too much of an idiot. D'Arcy and Morlidge's chemistry as this iconic pairing doesn't convince.
Furthermore, there is a far too lurid look to the way 'Sherlock: Case of Evil' is shot and edited, it gives off a sleazy feel and it didn't sit right. The music doesn't really fit and felt and sounded too modern. The direction is slack, the script is limp and stilted as well as ham-fisted in other places and the story lacks tension or suspense and tends to be tedious and convoluted.
In conclusion, apart from two performances and some of the production values this Sherlock Holmes adaptation was a mess. 3/10 Bethany Cox
Furthermore, interest in seeing early films based on Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories and wanting to see as many adaptations of any Sherlock Holmes stories as possible sparked my interest in seeing 'Sherlock: Case of Evil', especially one featuring Holmes' arch-nemesis Moriaty. It was intriguing to see Sherlock Holmes in his youth.
There are better Sherlock Holmes-related films/adaptations certainly than 'Sherlock: A Case of Evil', the best of the Jeremy Brett adaptations and films of Basil Rathone fit under this category. It is to me, and quite a few others it seems, one of the worst Sherlock Holmes adaptations along with all the Matt Frewer films (particularly 'The Sign of Four') and also much better than the abominable Peter Cook 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'.
Understand what 'Sherlock: Case of Evil' was going for. It just didn't work for me.
There are good things. The costumes, landscapes and sets are evocative and handsome. A few nice Conan Doyle touches.
While most of the acting disappoints, Richard E. Grant does a fine job as Mycroft and Roger Morlidge achieves a balance of the bumbling and the loyal.
However, James D'Arcy is incredibly bland as Holmes, very little charisma or arrogance. Gabrielle Anwar is basically little more than window dressing. On the other side of the acting spectrum, the usually great Vincent D'Onofrio is as hammy a Moriaty one can get and this is not meant in a good way. The dynamic between the two never works as a result. Lestrade, even for someone who's not the brightest person in the world and that's putting it mildly, is too much of an idiot. D'Arcy and Morlidge's chemistry as this iconic pairing doesn't convince.
Furthermore, there is a far too lurid look to the way 'Sherlock: Case of Evil' is shot and edited, it gives off a sleazy feel and it didn't sit right. The music doesn't really fit and felt and sounded too modern. The direction is slack, the script is limp and stilted as well as ham-fisted in other places and the story lacks tension or suspense and tends to be tedious and convoluted.
In conclusion, apart from two performances and some of the production values this Sherlock Holmes adaptation was a mess. 3/10 Bethany Cox