Not being sure whether this was based on a book or not, the similarities between this plot and that of "From Hell"'s are too many to be neglected to realize the latter's director was much happier in choosing, to start with, to utterly and completely kill the character of the clairvoyant or "medium", if you like: That character just doesn't belong whatsoever to any Sherlock Holmes story (either by Conan Doyle himself or not) taking itself seriously. Utterly and completely unnecessary to its development! Then we have the acting: great actors but mostly, seeming completely out of place.
The great James Mason has his TNT-like potential confined to a tired, old fart (too old actually) of a Watson.
Not to mention the unfortunate decision to turn his notoriously witty and clever character into some sort of comedy relief - take the pea scene, for instance: he was told to dither and procrastinates too much for a true Watson! From Nigel Bruce to Jude Law and Martin Freeman, I'm still to see such a demeaning portrayal of the good doctor.
Then we have Holmes. Unlike the original character, the director quite possibly prompted by the producers, have managed, in their quite apparent failed attempt to make him more human, to almost make him cry like a five year old, scaredy girl. Oh my, where to start? He's lost that truly Sherlockian "certainty". Sherlock Holmes shouldn't just ASK so many questions: he DEDUCES, pure and simply! Specially, as I mentioned earlier, bow to a bloody medium in trying to solve his case!! He's just not sure of his surroundings: at the funeral, why has he suddenly lost his powers to deduce the bad guys are still following him and are therefore certain to track Mary Kelly down via him carelessly taking them to her? For this review's size sake, I won't even delve into other flimsy character portrayals but believe me: it is really mostly other appalling portrayals to watch! But there are still positive point nonetheless. The scenery, props (sometimes a bit overdone, skulls with blinking lights longing at Sherlock's studio and so on and finally, the great Victorian London atmosphere they still managed to pull out regardless. Hence my rating it a point above a weak 5.
The great James Mason has his TNT-like potential confined to a tired, old fart (too old actually) of a Watson.
Not to mention the unfortunate decision to turn his notoriously witty and clever character into some sort of comedy relief - take the pea scene, for instance: he was told to dither and procrastinates too much for a true Watson! From Nigel Bruce to Jude Law and Martin Freeman, I'm still to see such a demeaning portrayal of the good doctor.
Then we have Holmes. Unlike the original character, the director quite possibly prompted by the producers, have managed, in their quite apparent failed attempt to make him more human, to almost make him cry like a five year old, scaredy girl. Oh my, where to start? He's lost that truly Sherlockian "certainty". Sherlock Holmes shouldn't just ASK so many questions: he DEDUCES, pure and simply! Specially, as I mentioned earlier, bow to a bloody medium in trying to solve his case!! He's just not sure of his surroundings: at the funeral, why has he suddenly lost his powers to deduce the bad guys are still following him and are therefore certain to track Mary Kelly down via him carelessly taking them to her? For this review's size sake, I won't even delve into other flimsy character portrayals but believe me: it is really mostly other appalling portrayals to watch! But there are still positive point nonetheless. The scenery, props (sometimes a bit overdone, skulls with blinking lights longing at Sherlock's studio and so on and finally, the great Victorian London atmosphere they still managed to pull out regardless. Hence my rating it a point above a weak 5.