It has been a long time coming, and I don't just mean this review. Fiction's greatest detective is back on the big screen at last. Although Sherlock Holmes is one of the most filmed characters in literary history, it seems like an age since Hollywood last added to the character's celluloid canon.

Part of the reason for that delay is that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original Holmes stories do not translate easily into mainstream movies. Most of Holmes' major film outings, from the Rathbone-Bruce classics to The Great Mouse Detective, have been based on stories written specially for the screen and are of variable quality. As a Holmes fan, I was skeptical about Hollywood's latest attempt to make the character into blockbuster material, not least because of the casting and the hints in the trailer that deeper levels of depravity had been added to Holmes' list of vices.

I am pleased to say that my concerns were misplaced. Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes takes liberties with the character and the official canon, but is respectful of its source material. It is an amusing and exciting romp that reminded me of how much fun different riffs on Holmes' character can be. It's a Hollywood blockbuster for sure, complete with big set pieces, CGI and explosions. Yet its blend of humor, mystery and thrills is a welcome change from mind numbing, ear splitting action films and the endless stream of other superhero flicks that Tinseltown is pumping out.

Want to know more? Sherlock Holmes begins with Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Watson (Jude Law) interrupting an occult ritual to arrest the creepy and cool master of ceremonies Lord Blackwood (played with delicious malevolence by Mark Strong). Blackwood is accused of multiple murders and is reputed to have supernatural powers. Later, behind bars, he warns Holmes that hanging him will not put an end to his nefarious activities.

Although Watson pronounces Blackwood dead after the execution, it appears that the villain is as good as his word. He is seen returning from the grave and is subsequently linked to several more murders. Thanks to Holmes' Scotland Yard rival, Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), and the only woman ever to better Holmes, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), the detective and Watson get drawn into the mystery from multiple directions.

Anyone who knows Sherlock Holmes movies will recognize familiar themes in this film's use of the occult and conspiracies connected to high offices in the British government. The former was a central component of the plot of Young Sherlock Holmes (of which there are several echoes in this film) and both the paranormal and conspiracy feature in the plot of the 1979 Holmes/Jack the Ripper film Murder by Decree. Holmes, as written by Conan Doyle, had no time for the supernatural and the writers of Sherlock Holmes tread a fine line by retaining that trait while not emphasizing it to an extent that undermines the mystery and the creepy atmosphere.

It helps that the script maintains that mystery in a way that hints at occult forces while not creating too big a credibility gap for other potential explanations. Moreover, the suggestion of paranormal forces is grounded in the sense of realism that extends from the excellent attention to period detail and the dull, grimy hues in which London has been painted. All of this looks particularly impressive on Blu-ray, with its superior color rendition and near perfect clarity. There are some major sequences that are obviously CGI, but these are rarely distracting and sometimes they add to the fantastical atmosphere.

Humor is not something typically associated with Holmes in the Conan Doyle canon, but it is used to good effect here. Robert Downey Jr. seems an unlikely choice for Holmes, but I warmed to his interpretation rapidly. His Holmes is more roguish and sarcastic than we typically see, but full marks to the filmmakers for trying something different. It is also entirely understandable given the desire to make makes Holmes accessible to a wide audience. Moreover, despite this being an action movie, Holmes' powers of observation and deduction are given as much prominence as his physical abilities.

Jude Law plays Jude Law and seems too young to me to be a completely convincing Watson. That, however, might only be due to my stereotypical image of the character. In any case, the rapport between him and Downey Jr. works well and helps to make their characters a convincing pair of close friends, even though their interaction steered away from Conan Doyle.  

Disc details: Warner Home Video leads the way with their major movie releases when it comes to the Blu-ray special features when these include the excellent Maximum Movie Mode. In a sense this is just a glorified commentary, but it provides more than just the typical voiceover. Instead we get to see a split screen view of parts of the film with the director giving a commentary on the relevant scenes and a second screen giving a behind-the-scenes look at the same scenes. In the case of Sherlock Holmes Guy Ritchie gives an interesting and detailed account of the making of the movie where he does not dumb down the technical details. That is refreshing given that too many DVD and Blu-ray releases include featurettes that are little more than self-congratulatory promos.

In addition to Maximum Movie Mode Warner's Blu-ray release of Sherlock Holmes includes several so-called 'Focus Points'. These short featurettes are less than 10 minutes long and cover topics including costume design, reinterpreting the characters, how the stars got into their roles and how the filmmakers tried to incorporate characteristics typically associated with Holmes and Watson into the new interpretations. The Focus Points include interviews with the cast and crew and are generally interesting but you shouldn't expect too much depth. Interviews are also a component of the 14 minute featurette, 'Sherlock Holmes: Reinvented'. Remember those promos I mentioned earlier? This is one.

Final word: Holmes purists might not appreciate this latest twist on Conan Doyle but anyone else looking for some pure escapism should get a kick out of Sherlock Holmes. Now if only Paramount would release Young Sherlock Holmes on Blu-ray...