SHERLOCK HOLMES
(unrated)
MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Brought to you by the studio that gave us “Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus,” The Asylum presents “Sherlock Holmes.” This retelling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous detective finds Holmes and Watson facing a mysterious dinosaur that threatens to wreak havoc in London.
WHAT I LIKED
I have a soft spot for The Asylum’s films. Sure, they’re cheesy, poorly made, murky and often far too silly for a major studio. But they can be a lot of fun, a great way to kill a couple hours on a Saturday afternoon. This film is no different.
Released to coincide with the video release of Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes,” this movie is very amateurish but still captures the whimsical banter between Holmes and Watson. Plus, it’s got a dinosaur in it (which makes no sense, by the way). What’s not to love about that.
Rounding out The Asylum’s canon of giant monsters and low-budget rip-offs, you know what you’re gonna get with this movie, so have fun if you watch it.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
“Sherlock Holmes” suffers from many of the same problems that all of The Asylum’s movies do. It’s not terribly well scripted, and the microbudget prohibits any really decent special effects. However, unlike moist of the other Asylum films, there’s no excuse to put people in a control room while a giant monster attacks. At the very least you get a change of scenery.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD includes a making-of documentary, cast and crew commentary, trailers and bloopers, which is a pretty decent offering for such a small movie.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of The Asylum’s movies.