Fish and Cherries Productions

Mr. Holmes presents us with a very different Sherlock Holmes than we’re used to. We’ve seen him as suave, grungy, and very prickly, but we’ve never seen him at his most vulnerable and frail, standing on death’s door and looking back on everything he’s done. This forces the audience to confront their own fears about mortality, guilt, and even losing themselves to senility. While all of this is going on, we are treated to scenes of Holmes’ past as he tries to piece together the details of his last case, which have escaped him with age.

Ian McKellen is right at home as Sherlock Holmes, capturing the wisdom, gruffness, and even grandfatherly wisdom that’s come with age. I am very grateful that they didn’t get a younger actor to play him in the flashbacks, instead using McKellen throughout with varying degrees of makeup. Another refreshing bit was that they didn’t feel the need to bog down the film with references to Holmes’ past works. I do enjoy my continuity nods, but I’m glad that the film was able to let the legend of Sherlock Holmes stand on its own. I’ll also say that it is very refreshing that there’s a quieter and more slow-paced film amongst the string of high paced action movies. It knows how to take its time and make the race against Sherlock’s end just as engaging as a race against a countdown. It may not be the Sherlock you’re used to, but still one deserving of your time.