Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

PlatinumRead Just so...so bad

Infamousta brilliant actors, brilliant editing

Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

alexanderdavies-99382 I don't hate this first of the modern "Sherlock Holmes" films at all. There is some good action and a few good cast members other than Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. The plot is the main weakness though. It doesn't quite work and it isn't down to the film focusing on fighting the Nazis. The other Holmes films of this kind did a better job. In my opinion the best of the modern Holmes movies are as follows: "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon," "The Spider Woman," "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death," "The Scarlet Claw," "The Pearl of Death," "Terror By Night" and "The Woman in Green." Evelyn Ankers is terrible in her part. She may be easy on the eye but an actress she is not. Thomas Gomez is good though.

dglink After two features produced at Twentieth Century Fox in 1939, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson moved to Universal Studios in 1942. Like the original Conan Doyle stories, the two Fox films were set in the Victorian era, but when the master sleuth and his side kick worked at Universal, the plots were moved to the then-present day, which was World War II. "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror," the first of the contemporary features, is heavy on British patriotism and anti-Nazi propaganda; the audience is even advised to "Buy War Bonds" after the end credits have faded. In a script adapted from Conan Doyle's story, "His Last Bow," classified information from the Inner Council is finding its way to the Nazis and has led to train crashes, bombings, and other sabotage in war-town Britain. The Council, against the wishes of some members, enlists the help of Holmes and Watson to track down the leak.Although often expounding patriotism and anti-Nazi warnings, Basil Rathbone always remains in character and fine form as Holmes; his iconic performance is unerring and solid. Nigel Bruce is equally fine as Doctor Watson, who ably supported his friend and provided comic relief through 14 movies. While the film's low budget is evident, the cast is full of pros and boasts some excellent character actors beyond the reliable Rathbone and Bruce; Bruce Denny, Montagu Love, and Henry Daniell among others show the talent and dedication to craft that kept them consistently employed in dozens of classic and not-so-classic movies. Elwood Bredell, the cinematographer, lensed the film with skill; the inky black shadows of Limehouse, the foggy streets of London, the crisp closeups of Rathbone and Evelyn Ankers, the female lead, elevate the film's visuals to near-A-picture status.While far from the best in the Sherlock Holmes series and a step down from the two preceding entries at Fox, "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror" has enough moments and assets to satisfy Holmes fans. The propaganda and message are heavy handed, dated, and only pad the running time; the screeching voice of terror grates on the ear; and experienced watchers of who-dunnits will easily pick out the villain. However, the acting is top notch, the photography first rate, and the fun of watching Rathbone and Bruce solve a crime is unmatched.

utgard14 When the sinister Voice of Terror taunts England over the radio with news of acts of sabotage against the Allies, the Inner Council of British Intelligence has no choice but to turn to England's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone). Holmes, with help from his criminal underworld connections, investigates and uncovers the true identity of the Voice of Terror.After two fine films at Fox and a three-year gap, the Sherlock Holmes series movies to Universal. The change of studios also brings with it the updating of Holmes to the 1940s, where he understandably spends the early entries in the series battling Nazis. This change upsets many purists, who already have problems with the Rathbone series for its portrayal of Watson as comic relief and its deviations from the books. If you're one of those, I doubt anything I can say will alter your opinion. I don't happen to be bothered by the changes. I actually enjoy the movies more because of them.As in his two films at Fox, Rathbone here is the perfect Holmes. One of my favorite scenes from any of his Holmes films occurs in this one when Holmes and Watson go to a seedy pub frequented by criminals. One of the criminals, a particularly frightening thug Sherlock put away years before, approaches the duo and we're led to believe any second now he will try to exact some violent revenge on Holmes. I won't spoil how the scene ends but pay attention to the way Rathbone plays this entire scene. It's wonderful stuff. I would be remiss in doing any kind of review for Voice of Terror without mentioning Rathbone's hairstyle. For some reason they decided to give him a rather silly-looking haircut where the hair on the sides is combed forward. It's hard not to chuckle when you first see it. Thankfully he wears a hat for a lot of the picture.For his part, Nigel Bruce is a great sidekick. He has less to do here than some of the other movies but, as always, he's pleasant and fun to watch. The supporting cast is great, with the likes of Henry Daniell, Reginald Denny, and Thomas Gomez giving solid turns. Special mention goes to Evelyn Ankers, who gives one of her most different performances here. She plays the wife of a criminal killed for helping Holmes who then agrees to help the detective herself. Not for the sake of law & order but for the love of country. Her best scene is when she gives a rousing speech to her fellow criminals and lowlifes, enlisting them to help Holmes and England.This is a solid start to the Universal Holmes series. Not the best but very entertaining nonetheless. Reading some of the older reviews here is a bit stomach-churning. Jeez, you'd think these people WANTED the Nazis to win! They seem so bitter and angry over the film being pro-England during World War II. What's this world coming to when people hate patriotism and nationalism so much they gripe about it more than the Nazis? The fact that most of these reviewers identify themselves as being from England or America makes the whole thing doubly sad.

binapiraeus Three years after the last one of the Basil Rathbone 'Holmes' movies had been made (it had been stopped by 20th Century-Fox when the War began, because now there was no more time for reminiscence of the Victorian Age and simple murder cases), Universal took over Rathbone and Bruce and carried on with the series - but any similarity to the former films, the former Holmes (even though being played by the same actor), and even the novel its first movie is loosely based on (a spy story, but from WW I, of course) is purely coincidental.Sherlock Holmes is suddenly being transfered via time machine into 1942 London, where the 'Voice of Terror', the Nazi German radio broadcast, almost every day predicts a horrible incident in England that's happening right at this very moment - and those incidents can only be made possible by the well-known 'Fifth Column', the Nazis and their British collaborators hiding all over England.So, Holmes is called in by the government council himself to bring some light into the whole thing - and on the same night, a man is killed right on his doorstep by a knife thrown in his back from a distance; the last thing he manages to utter is "Christopher", and the knife, as Holmes deduces, might have its origins in the 'Limehouse', the most shady district in town.At least, the film gives the credit to the 'lowly' people living in the Limehouse for being a vital help in extinguishing this spy ring, and (as we suspected right from the start; it isn't difficult THIS time to follow Mr. Holmes' thoughts...) a member of the highly respected government council turns out to be one of the traitors; all the rest is pure war propaganda, just like hundreds of other Hollywood movies of the time - only that this one even uses the famous name of Sherlock Holmes to attract more attention...