Critics praise Ritchie's Sherlock (From Salisbury Journal)

Critics praise Ritchie's Sherlock

10:43am Tuesday 15th December 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share

Guy Ritchie's new film has been hailed as a return to form by critics.

The RocknRolla director has not always had the best relationship with film critics - but that may have changed with the launch of his new movie Sherlock Holmes, which premiered last night in London's Leicester Square.

David Hayles, in The Times, gave it three stars and praised the film's "delicious scenes" and Ritchie's "peerless editing style".

He conceded it was "overlong" and "drags to a lacklustre showdown" but said Ritchie's version of Victorian London's famous detective deserved a sequel.

Marc Lee in the Daily Telegraph said Ritchie showed "verve, panache and, for him, relative restraint" in what was "undeniably a rollicking romp, an all-action blockbuster".

The only note of dissent was in The Guardian, where Catherine Shoard said the film was "high-end hack work" and reflected the director's "collapse of confidence in his ability to deliver anything."

There was also much praise for the film's two stars, Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, who play super-sleuth Holmes and his side-kick Watson, with one critic lauding "a career best performance" from Law.

It will be seen as a return to form for Ritchie. His career got off to a flying start when his debut film, Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, was a critical and commercial success.

But subsequent releases including Swept Away featuring his then-wife Madonna, and RocknRolla were panned by critics.

The action adventure opens across the UK on Boxing Day.

• Print
• Email
• Share