Monday, September 19, 2011

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The jury returns with a verdict and the foreman regretfully informs the court that they were unable to find Professor Moriarty guilty of murder, a second before Sherlock Holmes rushes in with the condemnatory evidence. Following his release, Moriarty embarks on a master plan to rob the Crown Jewels and throw Holmes and Watson off of the scent. "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" was the second in the series featuring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson and while it is not quite as fun as "The Hound of the Baskervilles", it is still highly enjoyable fare. Rathbone and Bruce project the same removed bemusement and George Zucco as Moriarty makes a thoughtful villain. Ida Lupino contributes nice work as well as a young woman caught up in Moriarty's trap. These early entries from the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle work best because they are played as lighter fare. They also act as a throwback to an older more innocent era of film, and also magnify what is wrong with the newer reboot by Guy Ritchie and what will most likely be wrong with the upcoming sequel.