Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes

Whoa, I just saw this article about the new Sherlock Holmes movie.

I have not followed RDJ's career for very long, but I am aware of his reputation and I do see his talent. I have certainly enjoyed a number of his recent movies like Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, and Iron Man, and I feel pleased about his successes. Watching Tropic Thunder, I even felt very very shallow for noticing how smoking HOT he looked in the few scenes where he was blonde and blue-eyed. So I definitely am very excited about him playing Holmes. He would probably make a good Holmes, even if it's based on a comic book rather than on the original canon (Doyle's stories).


I even liked Rupert Everett's TV role as Holmes, though I was disappointed that they wasted a young Holmes actor on a story set after Holmes's retirement. I like young Holmes, and we don't see enough of him in the canon itself, let alone in adaptations. (I liked the cartoon Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century as well, though purist Sherlockians would bemoan moving him out of the Victorian age.)

I especially like this line from the Reuters article, "The concept sees Holmes as more adventurous and less stuffy than previous screen incarnations and mines more obscure character traits." Yes please. I want young eccentric Holmes, not some inaccurate stereotype about him being all prim and proper. That's not the Holmes that Watson described.

But this troubles me: "Downey will play Holmes, with Jude Law as his sidekick, Watson." Jude Law as Watson? I mean, I'm all for a skinny hot Watson, but Jude Law just doesn't make me think of Watson. When I think of Watson I still think of Ben Kingsley as Watson in Without a Clue. Now of course I don't expect this new movie to do the role-reversal of Watson being the genius detective and Holmes being a bumbling fool, but I at least want a Watson who's not a Nigel Bruce dunce. I'll have to hope for the best.

I also hope they don't make Irene Adler into Holmes's love interest, 'cause Watson said she wasn't, and Watson isn't stupid. But then again, I once faltered and wrote a Holmes/Irene fic among the Laurie King fans, so who am I to lecture? Hey, maybe I'll repost that fic here as part of the archive. Well, I just hope it's a good movie.