The name "Sherlock Holmes" should not be foreign to many people. The fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has become a popular, iconic character since the stories were first published more than a hundred years ago.
There have been many TV series, and movies based on Sherlock Holmes. The recent movie "Sherlock Holmes" which came out in 2009 was an instant box office hit. While the movie was good, and Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes was entertaining and believable, but the movie just didn't quite capture the vibe from the original books.
In 2010, BBC broad casted a series of TV mini series, titled "Sherlock". This TV series is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books, but set in modern day London. Each episode is 90 minutes, and the entire season only has 3 episodes. The style of this BBC series is similar to "Bourne Ultimatum".
What's really good about this TV series is that, it managed to capture the character of Sherlock Holmes really well, and the portrayal is very faithful to the source materials. All the while the story never forget to show the quirkiness in the friendship between Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. John Watson, which provided humorous relieves to the intense stories.
Another good aspect about "Sherlock" is the logical deduction, a skill constantly employed by Holmes. In each episode, Sherlock's trademark skill of logical deduction is well thought of, logical with strong reasoning, and most importantly, ingenious. While at the same time, each of the episode is based on the original story. For those who have read all the Sherlock Holmes stories, it will not be difficult to pick out the origins of the plots of this series as you watch it. Episode 1, is based on "A study in Scarlet", Episode 2, is based on "Valley of Fear" and "Dancing man", Episode 3, is based on "The five orange pips", and the "Naval architect".
I have to say the final episode is probably, in my opinion the best in the series. Not only does it have an excellent plot, but it also set up for the future premises of the story by introducing some interesting, and memorable villains, such as "Jim Moriaty" and "Golem".
Personally, I have read all 4 novels and 56 short stories of "Sherlock Holmes", and I have to say that this mini series, is in my opinion, the best adaptation of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes up to date. The violence level is very low, and sex scenes are practically none-existent. The plots are well thought, intelligent, quirky and full of suspense. Very good entertainment and not to be missed.
Rating: 8.6/10
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