Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Classics can survive by being preserved exactly as they were, or by being shaken up for a new generation. Guy Ritchie ("Snatch," "RocknRolla") takes the second route with "Sherlock Holmes," reinventing one of literature's most iconic characters as an action hero in a brawny, visually striking period adventure. Robert Downey Jr. is an intriguing choice for the great detective, and even if he sometimes mumbles his lines a bit too softly, his trademark restless energy and offbeat humor go a long way toward selling Ritchie's vision. He won a Golden Globe for the role. Jude Law is just as well suited to a more action-ready Dr. Watson - closer to Robert Duvall's vigorous take in "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution" than to Nigel Bruce's bumbling sidekick - and together they make a terrific team. Unfortunately, the plot they're thrown into is a mess, a chaotic whirlwind of martial arts, black magic and overpowering set pieces built around Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), a sinister occultist who seemingly returns from the grave to take revenge. Downey and Law's souped-up Holmes and Watson are built to handle the wild ride, but Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, a very different character from the one in Arthur Conan Doyle's "A Scandal in Bohemia," and Kelly Reilly as Mary Morstan, Watson's future wife, get swept aside by Ritchie's breakneck pace. Hardcore Sherlockians may not be pleased, but everyone else may find it wonderful, if lightweight, popcorn entertainment, with the digitally recreated Victorian London a particular treat for the eyes. Hans Zimmer's quirky, Oscar-nominated score adds to the fun.