Sherlock - Case of Evil | James D'Arcy, Roger Morlidge

Sherlock - Case of Evil | James D'Arcy, Roger Morlidge | (1.5 STARS) Shallowest Holmes

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Sherlock - Case of...

	Sherlock - Case of Evil James D'Arcy, Roger Morlidge Universal Studios, 2003 average customer review:based on 22 reviews
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good quality, one problem

This DVD was generally of good quality, but I could never get all the way through one scene without it freezing and skipping. This fact was not revealed to me before I bought it.

(1.5 STARS) Shallowest Holmes

The Sherlock Holmes film `Case of Evil' is, as the tagline says, about the `past' of the greatest detective. The made-for-TV film is based on the completely original story set in Holmes's younger days when he met Doctor Watson. I admit the idea itself is not a bad one. What is terribly annoying is the way they put together the clichéd elements which you might have seen in the usual crime dramas, totally ignoring the Arthur Conan Doyle's books and our feelings towards the much-loved world of the sleuth.

James D'Arcy plays young Holmes before he meets Doctor Watson. Holmes is already a national hero because he killed (he thinks) the arch-villain Moriarty (Vincent D'Onofrio) after the Three Musketeers-like sword fighting. Now Holmes is very happy, popular with women, until he encounters another case that strongly implies that the master criminal is not dead.

But of course he is not dead. Everyone who chooses to see this film has some knowledge about Holmes, and they all know something about the waterfall and Holmes' Japanese martial arts skills. So when Gabrielle Anwar appears as aristocratic Lady D'Winter, we know that she is not what she appears, and we are in for the secrets in London.

But these secrets are only part of the whole merits of watching or reading Holmes's adventures. They also include the unique personality of Holmes that has become the legacy of all the human beings, and the dark-lit streets of the foggy city of London too. Sorry to report this, but this version `Case of Evil' has very little of them despite the very good title.

In fact the Sherlock Homes you see here is not your regular Holmes. Holmes sleeps with women; Holmes engages in a shoot-out; and worst of all Holmes is afraid of losing face, too much concerned about his fame while our beloved Holmes is a true gentleman, who would do none of this. Roger Morlidge plays Watson who is so clever that he can invent some gadgets James Bond would die for. Gabrielle Anwar shows her cleavage (yes, I confess, I like that part) and Richard E Grant appears as Mycroft with both legs nearly paralyzed. I still cannot comprehend the meanings of, or intentions behind these changes, and don't know whether they changed the basic setting with or without any purposes. If they have one, that must be to surprise us, and they did succeed in doing that, but not in the same way they intended.

I heartily welcome any additional materials to the Holmes world from the persons who truly understand why he and his London is still loved by billions of readers. Many of them including me would like to see his younger days, but not the puppy-faced playboy from a brat-pack.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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