Reviewing Movies

This BBC Series utilizes Conan Doyle's canon but updates it for the modern era. Benedict Cumberbatch is a fresh-faced, even cherubic 25-year-old who stands 6-ft tall to his older Dr. Watson's 5' 7". His Sherlock displays the same disdainful confidence in his own abilities but this one does not wear a deerstalker, [it would be a sin to cover those curly locks], and does not smoke or use opium--a point that is driven home when his apartment is raided by a drug squad in the second episode. He uses modern gadgets, has a smartphone, laptop, and his own web site; Watson Blogs having had the practice commended to him by his therapist. Pretty much everything else is unchanged including Sherlock's violin playing, his moods, Mrs. Hudson, and Lestrade at Scotland Yard. This would not be Sherlock without his residence at 221B Baker Street. It is sad to think that after a century and a half Britain is still sending soldiers to fight in Afghanistan. Despite Sherlock's genius the show is allotted a 90-minute timeslot so his cases take that long to get solved.

There is a certain irony in having the actor playing Holmes be the same who played the part of the character in Atonement who committed the rape that led to the destruction of so many lives.