Sherlock Holmes (2010 Film)
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''Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes'', also known simply as ''Sherlock Holmes'', is a 2010 British-American
steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and Applied arts, aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century Industrial Revolution, industrial steam engine, steam-powered machinery. Steampun ...
mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...
directed by
Rachel Lee Goldenberg Rachel Lee Goldenberg (born 1984/1985) is an American film director and screenwriter. She has directed a number of feature films and television episodes. She had her breakthrough after she was discovered by Will Ferrell, who gave her the opportu ...
and produced by independent American film studio
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
. It features the
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
characters created by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...
, though it follows an original plot. The film details an unrecorded case in which eccentric detective Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson investigate a series of unusual monster attacks and a plot to destroy London.
Gareth David-Lloyd Gareth David Lloyd (born 28 March 1981), known professionally as Gareth David-Lloyd, is a Welsh actor, writer and singer, best known for their role as Ianto Jones in the British science fiction series ''Torchwood.'' Early life They were born i ...
plays Dr. John Watson and Ben Syder, making his film debut, plays Sherlock Holmes. The film is a
direct-to-DVD Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strateg ...
mockbuster A mockbuster (also known as knockbuster or drafting opportunity) is a film created to exploit the publicity of another major motion picture with a similar title or subject. Mockbusters are often made with a low budget and quick production to maxi ...
intended to capitalize upon the Warner Brothers film of the same name directed by
Guy Ritchie Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter known primarily for British comedy gangster films and large-scale action-adventure films. Ritchie left school at the age of 15, and worked in e ...
, and is the second film by The Asylum to be inspired by the writings of Arthur Conan Doyle, the first being '' King of the Lost World''. The film was shot primarily in
Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a List of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom, royal town, Community (Wales), community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the easter ...
,
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
on a low budget. The Asylum had previously used the same locations to film '' Merlin and the War of the Dragons''. Syfy have since acquired the television rights of the film.


Plot

On December 29, 1940, during the
London Blitz London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...
, an elderly Dr. John Watson tells his nurse the tale of an unrecorded case he shared with his friend
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
. On May 19, 1882, a royal treasury ship is destroyed by a monstrous giant octopus on the coast of
Newhaven Newhaven is a port town in the Lewes district of East Sussex, England, lying at the mouth of the River Ouse. The town developed during the Middle Ages as the nearby port of Seaford began drying up, forcing a new port to be established. A ...
. Holmes and Watson investigate the shipwreck and do not believe the first-hand accounts of the sole survivor of the attack, but nonetheless investigate.
Inspector Lestrade Detective Inspector G. Lestrade ( or ) is a fictional character appearing in the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. Lestrade's first appearance was in the first Sherlock Holmes story, the 1887 novel ''A Study in Scarlet''. Hi ...
states that he has recently had contact with Holmes' estranged brother Thorpe, a former partner of Lestrade's who was paralyzed during a bank robbery seven years prior. In
Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...
, a young man is killed by a
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
. Watson is skeptical until he and Holmes discover the creature on their morning constitutional. Finding escape, several more clues lead Holmes to deduce that the monsters are artificial, built by a criminal genius to acquire resources. On the case, the dinosaur steals a water pump operating a fountain and rolls of copper wire, presumably in order to create another monster. The octopus that destroyed the ship earlier is linked to the dinosaur because they are both similarly "exceptionally improbable". Lestrade accompanies Holmes and Watson during their investigation. On one of their leads, Lestrade ends up missing. Holmes's reasoning leads himself and Watson to an old castle in Helmsmouth he and his brother visited as children. They come across another monster, a masked mechanical man:
Spring-Heeled Jack Spring-heeled Jack was an entity in English folklore of the Victorian era. The first claimed sighting of Spring-heeled Jack was in 1837. Later sightings were reported all over the United Kingdom and were especially prevalent in suburban Lond ...
. Spring-Heeled Jack is revealed to be Holmes' brother, Thorpe, who also assumed the identity of a patient of Watson's. Inesidora Ivory, his accomplice, is with him. Thorpe explains that he built a mechanical suit to cure his paralysis, and he deduced that the crippling bullet ricocheted off a doorframe, fired by Lestrade. He plans to destroy London, assassinate
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
and force Lestrade to claim responsibility. Ivory is revealed to be one of Thorpe's creations and his lover, and she carries a bomb in her workings that will detonate when she reaches Buckingham Palace, while Thorpe pilots his most complex invention yet, a fire-breathing dragon in which he pilots and holds Lestrade hostage. Watson is sent to stop Ivory from killing the Queen, while Holmes pilots another one of Thorpe's flying inventions in an attempt to stop his brother. Thorpe's dragon sets fire to
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
and
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
. Ivory is deactivated by Watson moments before the explosion can take place and the dragon is sent crashing in the garden outside the Palace. Thorpe, crippled again, crawls from the wreckage and tries to shoot Watson, before he himself is shot by Sherlock Holmes. Holmes proves Lestrade was not responsible for Thorpe's crippling. Lestrade takes credit for saving the Queen and Holmes and Watson vow never to speak of the events again. In present time, Watson expires peacefully and his nurse visits his grave. Nearby, Ivory is visiting the grave of Thorpe Holmes.


Cast

* Ben Syder as
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
*
Gareth David-Lloyd Gareth David Lloyd (born 28 March 1981), known professionally as Gareth David-Lloyd, is a Welsh actor, writer and singer, best known for their role as Ianto Jones in the British science fiction series ''Torchwood.'' Early life They were born i ...
as Dr. John Watson ** David Shackleton as "Old John Watson" *
Dominic Keating Dominic Keating (né Power; born 1 July 1961) is a British television, film and theatre actor best known for his portrayals of Tony in the Channel 4 sitcom '' Desmond's'' and Lieutenant Malcolm Reed on '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. Early life ...
as Inspector Thorpe Holmes / "
Spring-heeled Jack Spring-heeled Jack was an entity in English folklore of the Victorian era. The first claimed sighting of Spring-heeled Jack was in 1837. Later sightings were reported all over the United Kingdom and were especially prevalent in suburban Lond ...
" * William Huw as
Inspector Lestrade Detective Inspector G. Lestrade ( or ) is a fictional character appearing in the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. Lestrade's first appearance was in the first Sherlock Holmes story, the 1887 novel ''A Study in Scarlet''. Hi ...
* Elizabeth Arends as Anesidora Ivory * Catriona McDonald as Mrs. Hudson * Rachael Evelyn as Miss Lucy Hudson * Neil Williams as Phineas Stiles * Dylan Jones as Grolton * Chris Coxon as John Poole * Katie Thomas as Sally Fassbinder / "Miss Pinchcock" * Iago Patrick McGuire as Lees


Release

''Sherlock Holmes'' was released on DVD on January 26, 2010, a month after the similarly-titled Guy Ritchie film. The DVD features the full-length film and extras like a making-of feature called ''Exile on Baker Street: A Behind-the-scenes look at Sherlock Holmes'', the official trailer and bloopers from filming. Syfy broadcasts the film under the full title ''Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes''. In the UK, the film was re-released on DVD by
Anchor Bay Entertainment The revived Anchor Bay Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company owned by Umbrelic Entertainment co-founders Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz. Anchor Bay Entertainment markets and releases "new release genre ...
in 2014.


Reception

''Sherlock Holmes'' was met with skepticism immediately upon its announcement. Scott Foy of ''
Dread Central Dread Central is an American website founded in 2006 that is dedicated to horror news, interviews, and reviews. It covers horror films, comics, novels, and toys. Dread Central has won the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Website f ...
'' criticized the plot synopsis, which indicated that Holmes would be facing "enormous monsters" attacking London. Foy said, "Sherlock Holmes, monster slayer. Who wants another snooty Sherlock Holmes mystery when you can have him and Dr. Watson make like Buffy and
Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
? Maybe they can take it a step further and have Holmes' cocaine habit affect him in much the same way as
Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Alan Barnes said that while Keating and David-Lloyd "acquit themselves with a little dignity," he described Ben Syder's Holmes as "punchable" and called the overall film "dismal," "cheap and cheerless," and criticized the "risible final act" in particular. He concluded by saying that "listing the production's many deficiencies would be an entirely pointless exercise." Steve Anderson of ''Screenhead.com'' gave the film a rating of 6 out of 10, calling it "one of The Asylum's better movies", concluding that it's "far fetched" and "utterly mad" but claiming that it has a "spark of entertainment to it." Freddie Young of ''
Fangoria ''Fangoria'' is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr. The magazine was originally released i ...
'' called ''Sherlock Holmes'' "probably the best Asylum film to date" but recommended it only to those "willing to check reality at the door and just enjoy the silly ride." Jay Seaver of ''eFilmCritic'' called the film "kind of fun" but "disappointing," criticizing Syder's Holmes in particular, concluding that "a better Holmes would have allowed this movie to more squarely hit the mark." Admitting that Asylum's films are "so bad they’re good", Kristina Manente of '' SyFy'' called the film ''Sherlock Holmes vs. Dinosaurs'' and said it was "everything you want in a parody".


See also

*
List of films featuring dinosaurs This is a list of films that feature non-avian dinosaurs and other prehistoric (mainly Mesozoic) archosaurs, pterosaurs, and marine reptiles such as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. For depictions of avian dinosaurs see :Films about birds. Live-acti ...


References


External links


''Sherlock Holmes'' at The Asylum
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sherlock Holmes (2010 film) 2010 direct-to-video films 2010 films 2010 independent films The Asylum films British mystery drama films American mockbuster films Films set in London Battle of Britain films Films set in 1940 Films set in 1882 Films shot in Wales Sherlock Holmes films Sherlock Holmes pastiches Films about dinosaurs Steampunk films Films directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg 2010s English-language films 2010s American films 2010s British films English-language independent films