For many, Christmas will not be all about Turkey, stuffing, and presents under the tree.
The laid-back holiday will afford film buffs the opportunity to saunter off to the local Theatre and catch the release of "Sherlock Holmes" starring respected actor Robert Downey, Jr.
By now, unless they've been living in Siberia, most film enthusiastics are keenly aware that quirky director Guy Ritchie (Madonna's ex) has tried his hand at updating the character of the master sleuth and his once-stuffy sidekick Dr.Watson.
Over the years, a handful of actors have stepped into the role.
And, a screen persona difficult to shake, until now perhaps.
With Robert Downey, Jr. taking on the task in the latest studio-backed production, Sherlock Holmes may be literally transformed into Detective Cool right before our eyes, for starters.
According to press notices, in-house previews, and snippets of reviews - the new Sherlock is a buffed young man - sure to make hearts go pit-a-patter.
Even once-stodgy Dr. Watson has been overhauled.
With Jude Law breathing life into the character from beneath his skin, Watson has been upgraded from a supporting role, to a force to reckon with in a leading capacity opposite Downey.
When I was driving through Beverly Hills this morning, film critic Kenneth Turan's review of "Sherlock Holmes" popped up on a local radio station as I was flipping the dial.
According to Turan, a lot of bickering between the two long-time friends, ends up being a bit tedious.
Further, Turan accused the producers of exploiting intense action scenes to the point where they ended up being "generic" - thus - rendering the big-budget release into little more than a lot of Hollywood fluff (geared towards generating ticket sales across the demographic, no doubt).
The advertising campaign has been nothing short of a "blitz"; in fact, just today, the morning papers were awash with screaming ads on just about every page in the Calendar section drawing attention to a host of openings at theatres near you and just about everyone else in the Western Hemisphere.
And, the critics have been raving.
Mark S. Allen at CBS-TV used an eye-catching alliteratiion to get his review across:
"Smart, Sexy, Sensational"
One word say it all for Karen Durbin @ Elle:
"Dazzling"
Although I rarely ever agree with Peter Travers at Rolling Stone (he's so full of himself) I surmise that his assessement of Downey is bang on when he raves:
"Downey is irresistible"
And, Jake Hamilton at Fox TV, is already touting Sherlock Holmes as best film of the year.
Tomorrow, after take it in (this is one film I felt I should screen alongside the movie-going public in an emotionally-charged theatre setting), I'll be tossing in my own two cents worth.
I expect I'll be gushing about both Downey and Law, but underscoring - perhaps - that rank commercialism undermined the true potential of Sherlock Holmes from the get-go.
But, I'm hoping that is not the case.
Though I suspect Guy Ritchie's offering has missed its mark - in large part due to the rumor mill - I'll go into the theatre without bias or preconceived notions - and of course - pray for the best!
Like any regular joe, I always pine for a movie-going experience that is top notch and manages to entertain without flaw.
Elementary, dear Watson!
Guy Richie's Sherlock a fan of kick-boxing!
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