I was a little apprehensive about the film. The previews I saw looked interesting but could Downey and Law really pull off such iconic roles as Holmes and Watson? Maybe not in the way some people would expect. The movie doesn't feature Holmes in the Scottish tartan or cartoonish cap. Watson is not the bumbling sidekick who never picks up on the astute observations of his detective friend. Instead, the movie provides the view of Holmes and Watson as closer than brothers, men of action, in the way Sir Doyle may have originally intended.

Some viewers dislike what they see as “liberties” taken with the film. Holmes is too temperamental and this offsets his seemingly logical nature. He drinks, he experiments on the dog, he tries to sabotage Watson's relationship. But these are all classic Holmes. In the original tales, Doyle painted him in much the same way, and its nice to see someone remember that. Watson as no longer bumbling, a former soldier, someone who can hold his own, capable of putting Holmes in his place, but is unflinchingly loyal to his friend is a welcome change from what scripts have done to the character in the past. Definitely a welcome change on my end. I can't really comment on the Irene Adler character since I'm not familiar with the one short story she does appear in, but Rachel McAdams does a great job with the role she's given. And all three of the most hyped actors in the film have fantastic chemistry.

My one qualm with the film would be that the bulk of it relies too heavily on the idea that its audience is going to be impressed with emphasis on mysticism. All of the crimes are feats of supposed impossibility steeped in ceremonial “magic,” but anyone with even a passing familiarity with the famous detective knows that everything in a Sherlock Holmes story can be explained through logic and deductive reasoning. This knowledge makes plot twists a little less twisty and surprises not quite as shocking. But, the logical explanations are still pretty fascinating, so the knowledge doesn't provide a huge loss for the audience.

So, did I like the movie? Absolutely. It was a fun ride, an intriguing mystery, and the performances were outstanding. I especially loved the witty comments thrown back and forth between Downey and Law. The two actors play off of one another really well, and I would happily sign up to see them in these roles again.