Platicsco
Good story, Not enough for a whole film
Contentar
Best movie of this year hands down!
Aneesa Wardle
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
tanishanand
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was the first season of a long standing television series. It was the most accurate portrayal of what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle imagined and absolutely Magnificent. It was simply superb and Jeremy Brett, David Burke and Edward Hardwicke truly breathed life into their characters. If Sir Arthur was alive today, he would have been teary-eyed. Yes, the show's quality declined as it progressed, but probably it was Because the best stories had been used up in the earlier seasons already. Nevertheless, it truly was, very well made and in my opinion, one of the finest ever.
aramis-112-804880
"The Adventures of Sherlock HOlmes" and the first half of "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" are the apogee of Holmes on film (including TV). Before Brett and Burke, too often Holmes was a winsome genius (think the almost perfect Basil Rathbone) while Watson, for more screen time, was increasingly buffoonish (think Nigel Bruce). Holmes was almost like Watson's keeper.Brett and Burke were Holmes and Watson as a team. After this, as Holmes lurched toward Robert Downey, Holmes' flaws, especially regarding drugs and misanthropy, are played up so that the eminently sensible Watson seems more like Holmes' keeper.Not only are the Brett/Burke/early Hardwicke Holmes shows the best balance between the two characters, early on they are incredibly atmospheric and evocative of the period. And, for the most part, aside from a few technical changes in the shift from one medium to another, they are the most accurate.But the makers of "The Adventures" made a fundamental bloomer, no doubt for ease of storytelling. In the second recorded Holmes story, Watson got married and moved out. It is quite common for two young people of the same gender to live together while they are making a way in the world, to share expenses (in fact, in the Victorian era, it would have been unthinkable for people of Holmes' class to share lodging with a female). Holmes was just starting out and Watson was invalided out of the service on half-pay, with no other profession. But for greater facility for storytelling, most Holmes presentations show two middle-aged bachelors living together in one set of rooms, which is hardly accurate. And this is a great problem in telling the story "The Final Problem."In the original story, Holmes and Watson have not seen each other for some time (Watson has a successful medical practice). Holmes shows up in the good Doctor's surgery much worse for wear, and tells the story of the attacks on his life, and about Moriarty (about whom Watson knows nothing).Here, the way Watson is introduced to Holmes' condition is ridiculous. And there's lot of padding and a wholly anachronistic imagining of Holmes' involvement when the Mona Lisa was stolen (in 1911,though this story is set in the early 1890s) that is more like pastiche than Arthur Conan Doyle (who, admittedly, at his worst, was like a pastiche of himself).However, once Holmes and Watson FINALLY catch their train, the show gets back on the rails, so to speak.It's still head and shoulders above any other Holmes adaptations before (with idiot-Watson) or since (with astrung-out, anti-heroic Holmes who can barely care for himself). And the Swiss shots are beautiful. But the shaky first half comes from eschewing the literary accuracy that otherwise is the hallmark of this series. Very sub-standard. I was even left unimpressed by the much-vaunted fall at the falls.
Jimmy L.
"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" is highly acclaimed for faithfully adapting the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The detective may be best remembered from the well-known 1940s film series starring Basil Rathbone in the iconic role, with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. Those enjoyable adventures, however, were only very loosely based on the source material. I've never read the original stories, but I understand this British television series is regarded as one of the better Holmes productions.The mysteries take place in the Victorian Era, like the sourcework did. (The Rathbone movies moved Holmes to WWII-era London.) The show also differs from the Rathbone series in many other ways. Watson, as played by David Burke, is much younger (younger than Holmes?) and is smarter than the Nigel Bruce comic-relief portrayal. The first episode emphasizes Holmes as a master of disguise and the show even hints at the detective's recreational drug use. In my opinion, this version is more similar to Billy Wilder's THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES than to the Basil Rathbone films, if that's a useful comparison.Jeremy Brett is lauded for his characterization of the titular eccentric genius, but I think I might still prefer Rathbone. Maybe I'm too used to seeing Rathbone, but Brett doesn't quite look right as Sherlock Holmes. (Something about the eyes...) But you get used to it over time. And Brett does do an admirable job stepping into the role of the great detective and making it his own.There's not a lot of action or excitement, even compared with earlier depictions of Sherlock Holmes adventures. Each episode is a self-contained mystery, often a low-key scheme in the English countryside. And I don't know if it's the television production values or the lighting, but the stories seem to lack a certain atmosphere. They don't feel as suspenseful or ominous as the Rathbone films, which had that 1940s detective movie flair to them. (Shadows and fog, standoffs at gunpoint, double crosses, races against time, sinister plots that threatened the entire country.) By comparison, this show seems kind of bland. Brightly lit mansions, methodical investigations and long expository flashback sequences. (Perhaps this style is truer to Arthur Conan Doyle's storytelling.)But the Holmesian mysteries are generally splendid, as the detective uses his unmatched intellect to piece together solutions to complex problems. Watching Sherlock Holmes solve crimes is always fun, and this show offers some classic Holmes stories. I find that some episodes are more entertaining than others, but they all are of a fairly high quality, and should satisfy your thirst for deduction.I think I prefer the look and feel of the Rathbone movies, but this show earns points for sticking with the Victorian setting and the details of Doyle's source material. It's allegedly the most faithful interpretation of the original stories, so it could be argued that "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" brings to life the TRUE Sherlock Holmes. Worth checking out if you're a Holmes enthusiast or a mystery lover.
TheLittleSongbird
I cannot praise this masterpiece of a series enough. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it whatsoever. In fact every one of the Sherlock Holmes are superb, but this is the definitive one.The plots are in general true to the books, which are just as excellent, save a couple of wholly forgivable liberties. The scripts are sharp, classy and sophisticated, and all the adaptations have a certain atmosphere to them, and that is exactly what I want. The music is just outstanding, not only beautiful but very haunting, and the background music is rich and just adds to the atmosphere of the series. And the scenery, camera work and costumes are flawless.As for the acting, one word, superlative. Jeremy Brett is without doubt the best Sherlock Holmes ever, he is just perfect as the character. He is true to the character of the books, while making some subtle differences along the way. This is all to do with interpretation, and where I am concerned, this is one masterful interpretation of a truly complex character. David Burke is suitably intelligent as Watson; while I am more familiar with Edward Hardwicke, Burke is just as good. Many great actors and actresses have come and given memorable appearances, and I cannot decide who impressed me most, because they were all great.All in all, an absolute must-see. It is a television masterpiece. 10/10 Bethany Cox
