The film begins with the arrest of Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong (Body of Lies, impressive) who uses his mysterious dark powers to rule London. Holmes and Watson get back to business and together track down the culprit and get him arrested. Just when Holmes feels that he has solved the case, news of Blackwood getting back from the dead surfaces leading the famous detective and his sidekick to yet another mind-bending journey of solving a supernatural puzzle this time around. Complicating matters is Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), Holmes’s ex-flame, who returns to London with hidden motives that adds to Holmes’ list of suspicions.

Ritchie’s adaptation portrays Holmes’ eccentricities as a genius perfectly but somehow also makes him look more of a street fighter than a detective. The huge number of stunts induced in the film makes it more of an action packed James Bond flick and less of a suspense thriller which it should ideally be. The stunts are shot superbly (watch out for the scene where Holmes envisages his stunts before he actually does it. The stunts are shown in slow motion and are cleverly shot) but its abundance and thus lack of relevance is what puts you off. Holmes is also shown spending more time in fist-fights than solving his cases.

Coming to the story, seeing Holmes solve a puzzle with his great mind is what you expect but what you get is meaningless conversations between the characters instead and then stunts in between when the director feels the pace of the film has slowed down.

The supernatural plot is predictable and thus disinteresting. Addition of Rachel McAdams as femme fatale Irene is another drawback as she doesn’t exude the sensuality her character demands. Rachel and Robert have zero chemistry!

Set in 19th century London, the film lacks the Victorian finesse that the era demands.

In spite of the odds, what does make Sherlock Holmes worth a watch is the chemistry between its lead actors. Ritchie gets his casting bang on. Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock and Jude Law as Dr Watson are superb. They keep bickering like a married couple throughout. When Watson decides to move out of their shared apartment and live with his fiancée Mary instead, you sense jealousy in Holmes’ eyes. If Holmes is a genius yet an eccentric brat, Watson is a protective partner who helps Holmes balance his life by making him look sane to the outside world. Robert and Jude both exude unspoken emotions for each other thus creating a subtle homo-erotic tension between their characters. Ritchie’s typical dark humour and witty one-liners work too.

Robert renders a befitting portrayal of Sherlock. He creates the aura that his legendary character demands. His Brit accent (inspite of being an American) is impressive. Jude Law is impeccable. He is charming, good looking, intelligent and vulnerable as Watson. Together the two are the best thing to have happened to this film and the sequels to follow.

We have read much better Sherlock Holmes stories than what we get to see. The film is a classic example of how good actors can help you like a strictly mediocre film.

The producers blast new life into fusty cinematic stalwarts with their canny choice of director and stars. In many ways this feels more faithful to Arthur Conan Doyle's stories than the dry, cerebral films we're used to. Downey perfectly combines the character's edgy physicality, brainy powers of deduction and sardonic wit. And he and Law are like an hilarious bickering married couple that has lived together just a little too long.

No one else in the cast quite registers. McAdams and Reilly at least play strong-minded women, while Strong glowers satanically from the shadows and Marsan (as the chief inspector) tuts amusingly. The script is mostly smoke and mirrors, weaving in all manner of Holmes' lore, from the original story details to playful references to previous film incarnations (although Holmes never says "elementary", and he never wears a deerstalker).

And if the script isn't nearly as smart as it thinks it is, at least it contains a few nifty twists, including one of the more enjoyable resolutions in recent blockbuster memory. But what we're here for are the fireworks between Downey and Law, a couple of feisty-sexy women and Ritchie-isms like nasty slo-mo fight sequences, witty editing and suggestive lighting. He also offers plenty of refreshingly abrasive vigour to go with the cool effects and a zingy Hans Zimmer score. Bring on the next case.