Now that you mention it, Boyago, you're right. Sherlock WAS good at fighting, as Grayce mentions, and I am sure his fast working analytical mind contributed to his success. His fight with Moriarity at Reichenbach Falls is a classic example. But I agree that he would rather use his mind to solve a problem rather than his fists.
I did think, when I saw the first RDJ movie, that it came hard on the heels of the Matrix and movies like that. So maybe that had something to do with the martial arts, improbable slow-mo flavor of RDJ's Sherlock.
Yes, I gave into tempatation last night and watched the first episode of Cumberlach's Sherlock -- "A Study in Pink". Love it! It's neat how the BBC folks transported the lush, dark flavor of late 1800s London into the modern day. (And morphed Holmes' incredibly messy and eccentric apartment into an incredibly messy and eccentric modern day flat.) Very well done, as the BBC is so prone to do.
I also enjoyed the development of the relationship between Holmes and Watson. The scene in the restaurant where they explore "Do you like girls? Do you like boys? Are you interested in me?" issues is pretty funny, but it is also critical -- it gave them the "rules" so they could work together without the awkward sexual tension that comes from not knowing the score.
Although I've been long a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I identify far more with Watson as the person, so I am bothered by the stories that essentially dismiss Watson as a bumbling boob. In some of the old radio shows, Watson's role was mainly a foil to highlight Sherlock's brilliance, not to be a strong character in his own right. Sherlock NEEDS an effective ally, not a boob, and I really loved how Martin Freeman's Watson is so nicely defined in this first episode as a real person with valuable talents and skills. And I think Freeman is a wonderful choice for the character.
I did think, when I saw the first RDJ movie, that it came hard on the heels of the Matrix and movies like that. So maybe that had something to do with the martial arts, improbable slow-mo flavor of RDJ's Sherlock.
Yes, I gave into tempatation last night and watched the first episode of Cumberlach's Sherlock -- "A Study in Pink". Love it! It's neat how the BBC folks transported the lush, dark flavor of late 1800s London into the modern day. (And morphed Holmes' incredibly messy and eccentric apartment into an incredibly messy and eccentric modern day flat.) Very well done, as the BBC is so prone to do.
I also enjoyed the development of the relationship between Holmes and Watson. The scene in the restaurant where they explore "Do you like girls? Do you like boys? Are you interested in me?" issues is pretty funny, but it is also critical -- it gave them the "rules" so they could work together without the awkward sexual tension that comes from not knowing the score.
Although I've been long a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I identify far more with Watson as the person, so I am bothered by the stories that essentially dismiss Watson as a bumbling boob. In some of the old radio shows, Watson's role was mainly a foil to highlight Sherlock's brilliance, not to be a strong character in his own right. Sherlock NEEDS an effective ally, not a boob, and I really loved how Martin Freeman's Watson is so nicely defined in this first episode as a real person with valuable talents and skills. And I think Freeman is a wonderful choice for the character.
