Sherlock Holmes trailer

The trailer for the new Holmes movie is online. My first impression is that it reminds me of two period Johnny Depp movies, From Hell and Sleepy Hollow.


As I recall, From Hell was based on an Alan Moore graphic novel, and that helps me to keep in mind that the new Holmes movie is based on a graphic novel as well, so I should not be expecting strict canon in the movie. (This is most evident in Downey's unhygenic scruffiness.) Sleepy Hollow also departed greatly from the original short story, recasting Ichabod Crane as a detective not a schoolteacher. I generally enjoyed both of these Depp movies, even though most of the time I can't take gore or horror. (Maybe I'm just willing to tolerate gore for Johnny Depp. I also watched Sweeney Todd.)

So for these reasons I am still hopeful that the movie will be satisfying in some way. It'll clearly be an action-adventure thriller, more than a quietly deduced mystery, but Doyle did that himself with his novels STUD and VALL, featuring extended chapters set in America. I will accept the film for what it is, and I wish Christmas would get here sooner.

I'm still unhappy about Irene Adler being there, but maybe she was in the graphic novel. I've purposely tried not to seek it out because I don't want to be spoiled for the movie. So I must put up with the cliche, and just hope the Holmes/Watson relationship will make up for it. The scene in which Holmes is naked and handcuffed is humorous in its way, but still, it makes me wonder why Guy Ritchie calls it family-friendly. So hinting at kinky sex is okay, but making Holmes a cocaine addict is not? What the fuck?

I did like the glimpse of Watson assertively telling Holmes off, about "When have I ever complained?" and the mess and everything. I need to see that. I'm also intrigued by the scene in which Watson and Holmes are on the floor, apparently looking at some disaster that's knocked them down, and Holmes asks "Watson, what have you done?" Nice. If Downey can just bring the same amount of gayness to Holmes that he brought to the part of the literary agent in Wonder Boys, I shall swoon.