The spoilers in this review are fairly minor. No major plot giveaways here... but better safe than sorry.
This episode really needed some sort of prologue to explain exactly what the architects of this piece were aiming for. I was confused by such a young Holmes in the presence of a phone, by Watson's marriage to such a liberal woman, and by their rather cold relationship.
I think this story is supposed to take place later on in Holmes and Watson's friendship... I think that was supposed to be Watson's second marriage (because his first marriage was to Mary Morstan from the Sign of Four). I also think that's the place in the canon where their friendship is at it's rockiest (there's a story somewhere in one of the last two anthologies that is inexplicably narrated by Holmes himself... sort of like he had indeed lost his Boswell for a bit there). Anywho, that would have been very early 1900s, so it was possible that there was a telephone. I don't know how wide spread the phone was at that time, but I think I recall an adventure where Holmes shows himself to be quite intrigued with gadgets (and even having a phone)... but don't take my word for it because I don't remember where I was reading it.
It seems that Holmes and Watson do get back into the swing of things later on in the episode... sort of like they are reconciling... though it seems that Watson is in a fairly consistent state of annoyance and dismay when it comes to his eccentric friend. The end of the episode seems to back this up where Watson asks that Holmes stay in touch and involve him in more cases... as though a previous rift had resulted in an absence of communication.
The scene where Holmes is left alone with the future Mrs. Watson was done very well... his discomfort only truly revealed when Watson asks how he'd like his coffee ("Strong and black."). Unfortunately it seems that Waston's fiancé is only a plot device to show both Holmes' indifference to women in general, but not to strong intelligent women in particular. I wouldn't have drawn out her part in the movie anymore than it was though as there was simply nowhere else to go with her character without a complete rewrite.
I can't say I'm Rupert Everett's biggest fan on this one... but I also have to accept that no one will ever top Jeremy Brett... ever. I think Ian Hart is great though... he's a little more of a 3 dimensional Watson than I've seen... not quite so much of a sock puppet for Holmes. It's nice to see a Watson that can really stand up for himself, stay a little bit angry at Holmes, but still stay friends with him at the same time.
I didn't like how they tried to cram every darn cliché into the movie either. "I can't make bricks without clay", "For me there is always the needle", "Watson, you are the one fixed point..." and, all together now, "Elementary my dear Watson" *shudder*. I did like the way they threw in the "pawky humour against which I am going to have to learn to guard myself" line... it was a fitting response to Watson's "What are you doing? It looks like you are getting ready to dance the fandango."
Anyway, overall I enjoy just about everything Holmes, and am pretty forgiving of foibles. This one, however, is woefully overlook-able. See it if you want, but by no means rush to do so.
This episode really needed some sort of prologue to explain exactly what the architects of this piece were aiming for. I was confused by such a young Holmes in the presence of a phone, by Watson's marriage to such a liberal woman, and by their rather cold relationship.
I think this story is supposed to take place later on in Holmes and Watson's friendship... I think that was supposed to be Watson's second marriage (because his first marriage was to Mary Morstan from the Sign of Four). I also think that's the place in the canon where their friendship is at it's rockiest (there's a story somewhere in one of the last two anthologies that is inexplicably narrated by Holmes himself... sort of like he had indeed lost his Boswell for a bit there). Anywho, that would have been very early 1900s, so it was possible that there was a telephone. I don't know how wide spread the phone was at that time, but I think I recall an adventure where Holmes shows himself to be quite intrigued with gadgets (and even having a phone)... but don't take my word for it because I don't remember where I was reading it.
It seems that Holmes and Watson do get back into the swing of things later on in the episode... sort of like they are reconciling... though it seems that Watson is in a fairly consistent state of annoyance and dismay when it comes to his eccentric friend. The end of the episode seems to back this up where Watson asks that Holmes stay in touch and involve him in more cases... as though a previous rift had resulted in an absence of communication.
The scene where Holmes is left alone with the future Mrs. Watson was done very well... his discomfort only truly revealed when Watson asks how he'd like his coffee ("Strong and black."). Unfortunately it seems that Waston's fiancé is only a plot device to show both Holmes' indifference to women in general, but not to strong intelligent women in particular. I wouldn't have drawn out her part in the movie anymore than it was though as there was simply nowhere else to go with her character without a complete rewrite.
I can't say I'm Rupert Everett's biggest fan on this one... but I also have to accept that no one will ever top Jeremy Brett... ever. I think Ian Hart is great though... he's a little more of a 3 dimensional Watson than I've seen... not quite so much of a sock puppet for Holmes. It's nice to see a Watson that can really stand up for himself, stay a little bit angry at Holmes, but still stay friends with him at the same time.
I didn't like how they tried to cram every darn cliché into the movie either. "I can't make bricks without clay", "For me there is always the needle", "Watson, you are the one fixed point..." and, all together now, "Elementary my dear Watson" *shudder*. I did like the way they threw in the "pawky humour against which I am going to have to learn to guard myself" line... it was a fitting response to Watson's "What are you doing? It looks like you are getting ready to dance the fandango."
Anyway, overall I enjoy just about everything Holmes, and am pretty forgiving of foibles. This one, however, is woefully overlook-able. See it if you want, but by no means rush to do so.