Downey Jr. has eye on second franchise in SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009)

Posted by Stephen Jannise

Watching Robert Downey Jr. play the title role in director Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, I couldn’t help but think of Harrison Ford, or, more specifically, what appears to be Downey Jr.’s ambitions toward becoming the new Harrison Ford. Having already played the greedy, self-preserving but ultimately good-hearted Tony Stark in 2008’s fantastical Iron Man, Downey Jr. now adds the famed Baker Street detective to his repertoire, a more realistic period character whose lust for adventure and discovery leaves little time for friends and even less time for women. Are you starting to think of Harrison Ford, too?

The greatest one-two punch in cinema history.

Ford also built his legend on two major franchise characters: the greedy, self-preserving but ultimately good-hearted Han Solo in the fantastical Star Wars trilogy and Indiana Jones, a more realistic period character whose lust for adventure…well, you get the idea. I doubt you need me to tell you that neither of Downey Jr.’s characters will come close to achieving the cultural impact that Ford’s did; Han Solo and Indiana Jones will always top any list of the cinema’s greatest heroes. But I can report that Sherlock Holmes, much more so than National Treasure or any other recent adventure film, comes close to capturing the wide-eyed spirit of Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones series.

Plus, Sherlock Holmes has something the Indy films did not, and that something is Jude Law. After a glorious streak in 2003 and 2004, during which he gave us the Civil War Odysseus of Cold Mountain, a contemporary take on Alfie, a wimpy intellectual to match Clive Owen’s violent brute in Closer, a fine cameo as Errol Flynn in The Aviator, and of course I Heart Huckabees, Jude Law spent several years mired in a series of indie bombs. Well, he is back in fighting form as Dr. Watson, giving Downey Jr. an equal in wit and charm that Indiana Jones never had.

Their onscreen relationship is as natural as this off-camera moment.

The two actors are marvelous together, particularly in their ability to genuinely portray how many years this close relationship has accumulated. When Holmes does something rude or obnoxious to Watson, Law doesn’t roll his eyes or exhibit even the slightest hint of anger but instead seems to treat each of these minor offenses as symbols of Holmes’ barely concealed affection for Watson. Only a true friend would recognize these slights as testaments of friendship, and such details are what make us instantly concerned when Watson gets engaged and makes plans to move out of the flat on Baker Street. We care too much about these characters and the bond they have formed to accept their separation.

The story has its share of twists, and, as you might expect, Downey Jr. will explain each and every one of them to you. What you might not expect, unless you’ve seen the trailers, are the amped-up, adrenaline-soaked action sequences, which may be offputting to those looking for a nice, quiet mystery yarn. But I would argue that some of the most delightful scenes in the movie are those in which Holmes explains, step-by-step, how he is going to take down an opponent with his bare hands. So often, I watch choreographed fight scenes in films and wonder, “Why is this character spinning and swerving all over the place? To show off?” Well, in this film, Holmes tells you why, explaining how his first left jab to the cheek will loosen his opponent’s jaw so that the right haymaker will dislocate it entirely. Then, we see him do it. I admired these scenes very much.

The contemplative stage of a brawl.

I hope Downey Jr. has another successful franchise on his hands with Sherlock. Like most franchise sequels, the next film will give Holmes and Watson a stronger villain in Prof. Moriarty, and the casting of that character will be important. The actor ultimately chosen will need to keep up with these two admirable leads, who deliver their bitingly intellectual one-liners with panache and enjoy an onscreen relationship that is surprisingly poignant. Sure, Downey Jr. is no Harrison Ford, but then again, who is or ever will be?