Majorthebys Charming and brutal

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Keira Brennan The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

arminhage Before I move forward, I have to mention that this story was not a genuine Arthur Canon Doyle story but rather based on Sherlock Holmes, a character created by him so the major gaps and flaws in the story are not to be subtracted from his credit. Story was grossly incoherent, illogical and hastily sewn together emphasizing on minor events rather than the grand theft itself. Lets see how and I warn you, this is going to be real spoiler if you haven't seen the movie. Story is simple. Moriarty wants engage Sherlock Holmes in a false murder threat to divert his attention from his plan to steal crown jewels. Problem starts right away. Sherlock Holmes is a private detective not the secret service or something and apparently there was no threat so why the crown treasurer wishes Holmes to be present in the delivery of an emerald? It doesn't make sense at all so even Moriarty's assumption that Holmes would be there is illogical... Of course Holmes would be there for story's sake otherwise there would be no story but the whole thing was built up on mud! Homes got involved with the murder threat of the lady and murder of his brother. There is minimal problem with that. Moriarty manages to keep Holmes away from the Tower. In the tower, a fake theft attempt was done so Moriarty can stay inside the tower. Watson goes back to Holmes. that takes at least 30 minutes. There they find out that Moriarty was up to something. It takes lets say 15 minutes. They go to Moriarty's house. It takes 30 minutes. They go inside and find out about his plans (15 minutes). They rush to the tower (another 30 minutes). That's roughly 2 hours and yet we see Moriarty was in the tower holding the same crown he had in his hands 2 hours ago!!! Seriously??? If it was for real, Moriarty would have won, gone with the jewels long before Holmes even finds out about his plan for the crown jewels. Not only the whole story was based on arrogant and stupid idea of Holmes being essential for the security of the crown on top of all British security agencies of the period, Holmes in no way could stop Moriarty if it was for real. Holmes was pictured as plain stupid, something like Inspector Gadget who managed to stop Moriarty by the wish of the writer rather than his intelligence. Some may say it is an old movie and stories were simple and somehow stupid in those early years of sound movies. I would say bullshit! We had masterpieces like Dr Mabuse years before these series. That was not what I expected from a highly acclaimed detective series.boring stupid illogical movie. 2/10

TheLittleSongbird As a fan of Sherlock Holmes and of Basil Rathbone, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The plot is very silly, but is compelling enough and enjoyable throughout the whole duration. The film is well paced and well directed too mostly, while the production values are very nice. The photography, scenery and costumes are beautiful, but what I loved most about Sherlock Holmes was its evocative and haunting foggy London atmosphere. The script is of top-notch quality as well, often intelligent, funny and sophisticated.The acting I had no qualms with either. George Zucco is an interesting Moriaty and does really well of not being too sinister or too hammy, his performance was a nice balance I felt. Nigel Bruce is decent as Watson, though I can see why people are annoyed by his interpretation of the character. I liked the enthusiasm and blimpish bluster Bruce gave, but there are times here when he does come across as a little too clownish. However, he does have some believable chemistry with Basil Rathbone, who is just superb as a more charismatic and sophisticated not to mention very eloquent Holmes.Overall, a lot of fun and a case of where any minor flaws are completely overrided by the many strengths. Recommended! 9/10 Bethany Cox

wes-connors Returning from his initial outing as Britain's greatest detective, in "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (also 1939), super-sleuthing Basil Rathbone (as Sherlock Holmes) witnesses the murderous acquittal afforded wickedly criminal George Zucco (as Professor Moriarty). To wit, Prof. Zucco proceeds with plans to commit "the crime of the century," and steal the United Kingdom's Crown Jewels… Meanwhile, Mr. Rathbone is visited by beautiful young Ida Lupino (as Ann Brandon), who fears her brother will be murdered, as her father was a decade earlier. Ms. Lupino's fiancé and lawyer, handsome Alan Marshal (as Jerrold Hunter), doesn't want Holmes on the case - which seems to give away the story, but winds up being another part of the neatly plotted mystery...Cinematographer Leon Shamroy, director Alfred Werker, and a team of unfortunately uncredited soundtrack musicians - Cyril J. Mockridge, David Buttolph, Walter Scharf, David Raksin, and Robert Russell Bennett - create a suspenseful, foggy Victorian London town for the characters. And, Rathbone sings his hit version of "I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside"! Note that "the kid" Terry Kilburn (as Billy) takes over the character played by Charlie Chaplin in William Gillette's original 1899 stage version. While not based on an Arthur Conan Doyle story, this early film series entry is one of the best-produced. It's classic Rathbone, with ever-present sidekick Nigel Bruce (as Doctor Watson) herein receiving the line, "Elementary, my dear Watson." ******** The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (9/1/39) Alfred Werker ~ Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Ida Lupino, George Zucco

sol1218 **SPOILERS** Professor Moriarty, George Zucco, did it again! Just when it looks like curtains for him he managed to beat a murder rap that would have sent his sorry neck straight to the London Gallows. It was only because his arch enemy the great Sherlock Holmes, Basil Rathbone, couldn't get to the courtroom on time with evidence that would have completely contradicted Moriarty's alibi that got him acquitted of murder.Knowing that it's only a matter of time before Holmes gets the goods, as well as the hangman's rope, on him Moriarty concocts a devious plan to the destroy Holmes reputation as a great detective one's in for all. Something that would be worse then death for him! By throwing a fake in him having Lloyd Brandon, Peter Willis, murdered by his paid goons Moriarty, being the sneak that he is, is planning to pull off a quarterback sneak, within inches of the goal line, and score the big one in heisting the British Royal Family's Crown Jewels locked securely in the Tower of London. Knowing how Holmes' mind works Moriarty plans to send him on a wild goose chase all throughout London in finding Brandon's killer while he with his famous beard shaved off, and impersonating a London Bobbi or policeman, breaks into the Tower of London and checks out with the Crown Jewels!One of Sherlock Holmes' most baffling and difficult cases to crack in that he's up against a determined Professor Moriarty who uses all his criminal genius to make make a monkey out of Holmes and look foolish in the eyes of the British public that think the world of him.***SPOILERS*** Despite all of Holmes' efforts to save Lloyd's life he ends up getting it, in the neck, in front of dozens of witnesses on a crowded London street! This has Lloyd's kid sister Ann, Ida Lupino, terrified in that she'll be targeted next by her brother's murderer! Since she was sent the same death threat, in a letter, that he got just before he was murdered! In the end it was Sherlock Holmes' brilliant powers of deduction that uncovered Moriarty's evil plan to destroy his reputation as a great, if not the greatest, English detective. As Holmes brilliantly concluded what's the big deal about some garden verity murder, which he committed dozens during his criminal career, to Moriarty when he was planning to pull of the crime of the century! Something that would not only make newspaper headlines but be forever talked about and studied in police and military academy's the world over for years to come. It was by the boastful Moriarty bagging to Holmes what he was going to do in advance that tipped off the great detective to watch out for any false flags, like a simple murder, and not try to be fooled by them. Which in fact Holmes wasn't!P.S In fact the crime of the century was actually pulled off the very day that the film "The Advantures of Sherlock Holmes" was released to the public; September 1, 1939! It was on that very day that Adolph Hitler sent his panzer and infantry divisions into Poland which started the bloodiest war in all of recorder history: World War II!