Daninger very weak, unfortunately

Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

chaswe-28402 Toby is real, relaxed, and natural. He is good-looking, engaging, professional, and an excellent performer. This is more than could be said of the rest of the cast, otherwise distinguished though they may be, in this bewildering foray into would-be Doyle country. The film's merit is that Holmes and Freud belong in the same late Victorian era, and their supposed deductive faculties are more or less of a piece, as well as their apparent mutual enthusiasm for cocaine. The Austrian scenery and Viennese décor are captivating. Everything else is either fake or ludicrous. It is also atrociously dragged out and prolonged. There are a number of pointlessly puzzling episodes, such as a real tennis match, a risky excursion to the Spanish Riding School, an anachronistic song by Sondheim in a Viennese brothel, a railroad race, a ridiculous duel between Sherlock and Jeremy Kemp on the roof of a moving train which goes on and interminably on. These events have absolutely nothing to do with anything. It is a complete mystery why they are there.After watching a fair number of dvds during the last six months I've come to the conclusion that there are two types of film, believable and unbelievable. This movie is preposterous in all respects. An American Dr Watson with a strangulated accent only Americans would think was English, a Sherlock who is frantic and hysterical instead of icy calm and logical, and a Freud with a black beard, when it should be white or grey --- or at least of a different shape: these constitute the main protagonists. A Professor Moriarty masquerades as a geriatric Laurence Olivier, who looks unlikely to be able to mastermind a trip to the care home, let alone a network of criminals. However he is reported to have had a naughty past, and contributed to a homicide. There is also a Turkish Pasha. The thespian skills of Vanessa Redgrave depend entirely on her family connections. I can't think of anything else useful to say. The solution to this mystery is 100% insoluble. Unless somebody came up with a pot of money and the actors decided to go off and have a jolly holiday in Austria, all expenses paid. Nominated for two Oscars ? Was this the ultimate joke ?

djensen1 Odd casting all around, rather poor sound design, and some throwback choices (like fast-motion editing in a few places) make this an odd duck. Nicholas Meyer's Holmes fanaticism shows right from the beginning, as the characters are introduced with footnotes! Even the characters themselves refer directly to previous adventures at every opportunity.The cast largely pulls it off, tho, with Alan Arkin's German accent probably the weak link. The sets, costumes, and dialog are terrific, but there are some odd directorial choices, and the pacing is off. The first half drags with Victorian drawing room melodrama as Watson pulls Holmes out of his stupor, then the final act lurches to and fro, attempting to become cinematic with action set pieces.Occasionally inspired, sometimes ridiculous, Meyer's script tries to explain Holmes' psychology and comes off looking a bit like fan fiction rather than the real thing. But it retains its sense of fun, and that makes it pretty watchable.

sharlyfarley It's hard to ask for more from a film than Nicholas Meyer and Herbert Ross have given us here. No Sherlockians were offended and most were delighted by the idea that Holmes cured his cocaine addiction with the help of Sigmund Freud. The players are magnificent, from Nicol Williamson's brilliant nervous Holmes and Robert Duvall's sturdy Dr. Watson to the always-reliable Alan Arkin as a thoroughly charming Freud. Vanessa Redgrave shows up and glows. There's only one song, but it's by Stephen Sondheim, if you see what I mean. Lavish entertainment, with brains and beauty...and a saber duel at the end, aboard racing trains. See it if you can.

jhboswell I resent tampering with success, and if you compare this opus to the Granada Television series with Jeremy Brett as Holmes you will see what I mean. I am not impressed with clever take-offs on beloved characters of literature; or real life for that matter. Now you know how I feel.This film, then, in my opinion, has a silly plot; too many underdeveloped characterizations; and depends too much on Holmes' drug addiction and the invention with Sigmund Freud. Its pace is too fast, and that I must blame on Mr. Williamson and his director; and many of the very fine actors are woefully underused or ignored. Surely these experienced thespians were not cowed by this unusually manic portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, but it seems so. Alan Arkin seems to struggle against odds for his time on camera.I will grant that it is interesting, that Mr. Williamson is a great presence, and that the scenery is wonderful. Other than that, I submit that it is a disappointing waste of time. So, let's move on.