Elementary, my dear Watson.

I went to see the new Sherlock Holmes tonight and realized that I am really not a film snob. I’m just not, and I’m okay with that. I’m not a book snob, either, which bothers me a bit more, but that’s for another post.

I can see why a lot of people say this Sherlock Holmes is crap, that the plot is nowhere near as good as the first one, that the only decent parts are the interactions between Holmes and Watson (which are absolutely the best parts, I can’t argue that), but I don’t think Guy Ritchie was trying for a masterpiece to rival Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary portrayals – I can think of plenty of films with less going for them that have also been enjoyable enough to justify seeing them in a theater. The script is witty, the cinematography impressive, and the costumes (though probably not historically accurate – sorry, Melissa, I know that’s a peeve of yours) swoon-worthy. There were slight twists that we were able to guess, which is fun, and bigger ones we had no real way to see coming, which keeps it engaging.

While, as a writer, I feel like I should dedicate my reading time to studying the craft from the literary greats, I think it’s okay for me to indulge my love of fluff when it comes to movies. I have a not-so-secret passion for superhero films – almost all of the Batman movies, Spider-Man (he’s always been my favorite), Superman, X-Men, Iron Man. I have little guilt about the pleasure of watching Bring It On, 10 Things I Hate About You, and pretty much any dance or music-related teen flicks – Drum Line, Save the Last Dance, Center Stage. Then you have your garden-variety cult favorites, some with more of a following than others – The Princess Bride, High Fidelity, Cruel Intentions. I even have the occasional desire to watch an action flick with some redeeming quality – The Negotiator, The Rock, XXX (in case you were wondering, my cats were named for Xander Cage and Yelena from that movie).

So, after seeing Game of Shadows, I want to re-watch the first Sherlock Holmes, and maybe The Matrix, and I want a traveling suit with a bustle and a brocade corset dress and a castle built into a Swiss cliff with a thundering waterfall. Except maybe not, because Switzerland is freaking cold, and I would have an even harder time deciding what shoes to wear out for an evening in the winter there. I’ll rethink where to put my castle.