While Robert Downey Jr is absent from the iconic role of the World's Greatest Detective on the big screen, legendary British actor Ian Mckellan steps in those shoes. From achieving international success and critical acclaim from playing franchise-favourite roles like Erik Lensherr/Magneto (X-Men) and Gandalf (Lord of the Rings Trilogy/The Hobbit Trilogy), Mckellan has just about what fans or moviegoers might expect from taking on the role of Sherlock Holmes. Mckellan fits the role brilliantly, but if one was expecting a crime thriller they may be disappointed. The story takes off with an elderly Holmes, age 93, as he lives under a roof of a countryside house and cared for by a housekeeper and her intriguing son. The point is: Holmes is old and unable to come out of retirement to solve one last crime, as fans may have hoped for; but he suffers from memory loss as he tries to recall a recent case he was working on several years prior. This is followed by flashbacks from that case, which may give fans a bit of comfort, but the real attraction is the performance of Mckellan and his relationship with the boy, which develops a situation of importance to the story. In comparison to other recent adaptations of the World's Greatest Detective like BBC's Sherlock, Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and the 2009 movie Sherlock Holmes and its 2011 sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, both starring Robert Downey Jr, Mr Holmes probably isn't the crime thriller most were hoping for, but shines a bit of light with great performances and a heart-warming story.
Review of Mr. Holmes
