Dear Internet, I'm disappointed.
May. 14th, 2010 09:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marshtideI, approximately forever after the rest of the world, have just seen the recent Sherlock Holmes film. I'll admit I really wasn't expecting anything good, but it fell short of even what expectations I did have, actually.
Thoughts:
1. I am... well, not a purist. I've had some kind of vague interest in Holmes for quite a while, but been open to other interpretations. I did think this one looked awful from the first trailer I saw; that's because the dialogue sounded like a string of clichés. This fear turned out to be absolutely correct. I do believe that the vast majority of the lines were the same one-liners that've appeared in almost every other hollywood action film for the past decade, with slight adjustment for context. But only slight.
2. It's not that the idea of a darker Holmes doesn't appeal to me. I think that a darker screen interpretation could be really interesting and appropriate, highlighting the way that the Sherlock Holmes stories so often are about the underworld, and about terrible people doing terrible things. There's an awful lot that could be done there. What irritates me is that the film kept telling me it was dark, but never gave me any reason to really believe it. It was actually overblown, not dark.
3. In fact, it kept telling me all sorts of things without giving me any reason to believe them, starting with the fact that the characters portrayed were actually people. I suppose occasionally I almost believed that Watson was a real human being; I think he was actually the only one. I didn't really buy him as Watson, but almost seeming like a human being from time to time somehow seems like a shining achievement in terms of this film & the man should be congratulated for making the best of a bad job.
4. Speaking of telling us things we have no reason to believe, were we actually meant to think that Adler was some kind of a strong character? I have to admit that one of my main hopes for the film was that I might just possibly find her sexy & that she'd do some interesting stuff. But apparently we're playing her as some kind of helpless pawn now, while assuring us through things we never get actually shown that she's somehow badass. OK, she can shoot straight. Amazing. This basically comes back to the not-seeming-like-a-person thing, but I am choosing to take it more personally in this case. Sorry.
5. In fact, I've been muttering at Val for a few days now about how unsatisfying fanservice is in other stuff, particularly anime & manga, but it turns out it applies here. Dear film: you're trying too bloody hard & I don't buy it, nor do I like it. This goes for the gay "subtext" & for the token crossdressing. And I mean, I love crossdressing women. But no.
6. This was basically a random hollywood action film that I just watched, wasn't it? I, um. I don't like hollywood action films. If you couldn't guess.
There were actually an awful lot of other things I had problems with, didn't enjoy, or thought were just basically ridiculous in a thoroughly unendearing way. But... oh, I don't know. I didn't like it. That's basically my entire point here.
That done with, I'm moving on! I think I'll watch the Brett version of A Scandal in Bohemia and see if I can get some screencaps of... oh, I don't need to tell you, do I?
(Up sides to today: we bought plants and now the flower beds outside aren't sad and empty any more! Also I have gin! Down sides to today: my computer has fallen over and died. Typing this from Val's. Other posts I may have had planned are likely to be delayed.)
Thoughts:
1. I am... well, not a purist. I've had some kind of vague interest in Holmes for quite a while, but been open to other interpretations. I did think this one looked awful from the first trailer I saw; that's because the dialogue sounded like a string of clichés. This fear turned out to be absolutely correct. I do believe that the vast majority of the lines were the same one-liners that've appeared in almost every other hollywood action film for the past decade, with slight adjustment for context. But only slight.
2. It's not that the idea of a darker Holmes doesn't appeal to me. I think that a darker screen interpretation could be really interesting and appropriate, highlighting the way that the Sherlock Holmes stories so often are about the underworld, and about terrible people doing terrible things. There's an awful lot that could be done there. What irritates me is that the film kept telling me it was dark, but never gave me any reason to really believe it. It was actually overblown, not dark.
3. In fact, it kept telling me all sorts of things without giving me any reason to believe them, starting with the fact that the characters portrayed were actually people. I suppose occasionally I almost believed that Watson was a real human being; I think he was actually the only one. I didn't really buy him as Watson, but almost seeming like a human being from time to time somehow seems like a shining achievement in terms of this film & the man should be congratulated for making the best of a bad job.
4. Speaking of telling us things we have no reason to believe, were we actually meant to think that Adler was some kind of a strong character? I have to admit that one of my main hopes for the film was that I might just possibly find her sexy & that she'd do some interesting stuff. But apparently we're playing her as some kind of helpless pawn now, while assuring us through things we never get actually shown that she's somehow badass. OK, she can shoot straight. Amazing. This basically comes back to the not-seeming-like-a-person thing, but I am choosing to take it more personally in this case. Sorry.
5. In fact, I've been muttering at Val for a few days now about how unsatisfying fanservice is in other stuff, particularly anime & manga, but it turns out it applies here. Dear film: you're trying too bloody hard & I don't buy it, nor do I like it. This goes for the gay "subtext" & for the token crossdressing. And I mean, I love crossdressing women. But no.
6. This was basically a random hollywood action film that I just watched, wasn't it? I, um. I don't like hollywood action films. If you couldn't guess.
There were actually an awful lot of other things I had problems with, didn't enjoy, or thought were just basically ridiculous in a thoroughly unendearing way. But... oh, I don't know. I didn't like it. That's basically my entire point here.
That done with, I'm moving on! I think I'll watch the Brett version of A Scandal in Bohemia and see if I can get some screencaps of... oh, I don't need to tell you, do I?
(Up sides to today: we bought plants and now the flower beds outside aren't sad and empty any more! Also I have gin! Down sides to today: my computer has fallen over and died. Typing this from Val's. Other posts I may have had planned are likely to be delayed.)
no subject
Date: 2010-05-14 08:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-14 09:11 pm (UTC)Were it not for the saving grace that is gin, though... yeah. Quite.
no subject
Date: 2010-05-15 06:39 am (UTC)It ruins the experience, you see, for the other person/people watching the movie.
no subject
Date: 2010-05-15 10:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-15 02:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-23 09:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-23 01:08 pm (UTC)