Robert Downey Jr. is "Sherlock Holmes"

[Goliath]

Yknow what we haven't seen much of lately? A serious attempt at the film noir detective. Downey would be very well suited to fill the shoes of Humphrey Bogart. Much more natural fit than Holmes.

I like the way you think.

Though, to be fair, the Holmes mysteries are much closer to American hard-boiled detective fiction than most of their English contemporaries.

In fact, I would be very interested to see a new Holmes film that played up exactly that angle, on the mean streets of late-Victorian London.

 

[CaptainCanada]

And just for the record: stop adapting Arthurian legend too.

They haven't yet gotten it right (Boorman came the closest), so I'd say don't stop.

 

[S. Gomez]

And just for the record: stop adapting Arthurian legend too.

They haven't yet gotten it right (Boorman came the closest), so I'd say don't stop.

Amen to that. Well, actually I loved The Sword In The Stone when I was a kid, but that was based off T.H. White, plus it didn't tell the whole story.

 

[S. Gomez]

Sorry for the double post, but I just found this online. I haven't been able to find out who Lionel Wigram is, but for some reason I'm even more scared than I was before...

The film is also borrowing from the gritty comic book re-imagining by Lionel Wigram, where Holmes is known as much for his brawn as his brains. Wigram's stories find the detective as more of an adventurer, specializing in boxing and sword-fighting, as well as sleuthing.

ETA: A little more detail, though it doesn't mention Robert Downey, Jr. (And it's from June. Go figure.)

 

[Holdfast]

The books also had Holmes as being proficient as a boxer and single stick fighter (and taking more than a bit of joy at decking someone occasionally), but he'd only ever use those skills when it was absolutely needed. More often, he'd just tell Watson to remember to bring his service revolver...

I'm more concerned by the "more of an adventurer" comment. An adventurer is the very last thing Holmes is.

 

[S. Gomez]

The books also had Holmes as being proficient as a boxer and single stick fighter (and taking more than a bit of joy at decking someone occasionally), but he'd only ever use those skills when it was absolutely needed. More often, he'd just tell Watson to remember to bring his service revolver...

True. And he does have a certain knowledge of "baritsu". But the fact that the movie will show Holmes with those abilities isn't really what worries me, it's that it will showcase them in an over-the-top manner. As you pointed out, Holmes used brain far more often than brawn.

I'm more concerned by the "more of an adventurer" comment. An adventurer is the very last thing Holmes is.

Though he does admit to having "a touch of the dramatic". But yeah, adventurer is not one of the adjectives that pops to mind when I think of Holmes.

 

[Ethros]

Robert Downey Jr. is "Sherlock Holmes"

No shit Sherlock

Can't believe no ones said that yet in this thread

 

[USS Mariner]

Well, if they're worried about Will Ferrell, they can always replace him with Imelda Staunton.

 

[TGTheodore]

To me, Basil Rathbone will always be the quintessential screen Holmes. There have been others equally amazing and accomplished, but Rathbone set the tone for me.

Murder By Decree with Christopher Plummer as Holmes and James Mason as Watson was an excellent film. "I know, Holmes ... but to squash a fellow's pea ..."

--Ted

 

[Jax]

We all know Commander Data is the best Sherlock Holmes

 

[S. Gomez]

^Are you kidding? He couldn't even do a proper British accent.

 

[ancient]

In the future a French accent sounds British, and a British accent sounds like a bad impersonation of a British accent.

 

[S. Gomez]