You do know what you're drinking is meant for eye surgery?

Hi ya sports fans----vacation is over and now it is time to get back to work! Did ya miss me? All three of ya??

As is tradition on Christmas day in my family (those that didn't have beautiful children to take home and put down for a nap anyway), after the presents are opened and the goose is cooked (or Honey Baked Ham in this case), we head off to the movies...and this year was no exception. Like many Christmas thrill seekers (those that didn't see Avatar) we saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie. 

Let me start out by saying that I have never really been a fan of Doyle's work. Don't get me wrong, I love intrigue and mystery, but I get lost in the technicalities. Much like Crichton and Clancy, I get lost in the why and wherefores of the detailed stories. That being said....like much of the ADD nation I LOVE the movies that come from the books!

Sherlock Holmes is no exception. This is not really your dad's Holmes... as evidenced by the fact that MY father was not that knocked out by it. I, however, thought it was great. I enjoyed the banter, the wit, the minor love story coursing just under the surface, and I loved the buddy-movie chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law! In my opinion, they were the most believable pals. Law's Watson truly shows the passion for problem solving that I think a lot of past movies leave out. Watson wasn't just a spectator or a babysitter... he was a genuine HELP to Holmes. This Holmes couldn’t survive without Watson, and that’s something the older film versions have not captured. Downey's Holmes shows the true friendship and respect that Holmes had for Watson. I completely enjoyed their relationship. 

Rachel McAdams is beautiful and intriguing as Holmes’ one and only "love", Irene Adler. Holmes had very little use for the “gentler” sex in general; he would help them only as a means to an end or a problem to solve. He found most women boring and silly with very little true sense about them. (What do you expect from a character written by a Victorian man, anyway?) Irene, however, was a different sort. She thought, in Holmes’ words, "like a man" and that delighted him. She was a thief... a con (wo)man… the only kind of profitable "criminal" a women could be at that time (politics and multi-national corporations being unavailable at the time). Homes didn't trust her, but I think he loved the puzzle she presented. McAdams adds just enough heart to this woman to make you want them together.

The story, like most Holmes stories, starts out seeming supernatural. It is a tale of demons and ghosts and rising from the grave to take over the world (taking a subtextual poke at Christianity? Perhaps… that too would be in step with Doyle’s writing). However, by the end, the simplicity of the plan is strangely obvious once it is expounded in true Holmesian fashion. The ride is fun, the story is strong, and the characters are delightful. I highly recommend this movie -- it was well worth the wait! (And yes, for you true Holmes aficionados… the good Prof. appears just long enough to tantalize!)

Well, dear reader(s)... that is all that is fit to print! Until next time...