{"id":23747,"date":"2012-02-06T10:44:17","date_gmt":"2012-02-06T17:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=23747"},"modified":"2023-10-19T23:31:49","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T06:31:49","slug":"young-sherlock-holmes-1985","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=23747","title":{"rendered":"Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I suspect foul play.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Poster-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-23748\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Poster-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Poster-90x128.jpg 90w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Poster.jpg 543w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nYoung John Watson (Alan Cox) meets Sherlock Holmes (Nicholas Rowe) at boarding school, and proceeds to help him solve a series of mysteries involving hallucinogenic-inspired suicides.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Barry Levinson Films<\/li>\n<li>Cults<\/li>\n<li>Detectives and Private Eyes<\/li>\n<li>Historical Drama<\/li>\n<li>Murder Mystery<\/li>\n<li>Sherlock Holmes Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary notes that the primary problem of this &#8220;amiable if weakly written tale&#8221; (produced by Steven Spielberg, and scripted by Christopher Columbus) about &#8220;teenage Holmes&#8230; solving his first mystery&#8221; is that &#8220;it will take viewers about half the time it takes Holmes to figure out [the] whodunit&#8221;, thus leaving us &#8220;not overly impressed with his detective work&#8221;. He argues that &#8220;the opening scenes are the best, not only because [director Barry] Levinson provides some authentic Victorian flavor when filming snowy London or the school campus, but because we can see hints of the adult Holmes in the inquisitive, cocky, maturing teenager&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Cox.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Cox.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"416\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-60081\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Cox.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Cox-300x173.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Cox-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Cox-467x270.png 467w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, he points out that &#8220;later the familiar overblown Spielberg adventure spectacle [taking place at] the Egyptian temple with bald, diabolical priests involved in a sacrificial ritual&#8230; replaces mystery-solving and our hero could be any indomitable Spielberg teenager, rather than a detective extraordinaire&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Temple.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Temple-1024x579.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"362\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60086\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Temple-1024x579.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Temple-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Temple-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Temple-768x434.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Temple-1536x868.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Temple-478x270.png 478w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Temple.png 1813w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This is all true, and yet I&#8217;ll admit to an overall fondness for this finely produced, creative imagining of Holmes and Watson befriending each other years before their &#8220;actual&#8221; first encounter as adults (per Doyle&#8217;s original stories). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Holmes-Watson.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Holmes-Watson-1024x564.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"353\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60083\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Holmes-Watson-1024x564.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Holmes-Watson-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Holmes-Watson-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Holmes-Watson-768x423.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Holmes-Watson-1536x846.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Holmes-Watson-490x270.png 490w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Holmes-Watson.png 1831w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Things start off with a bang, as we witness a series of truly gruesome hallucinogenic fits (courtesy of &#8220;excellent special effects by [George Lucas&#8217;s] Industrial Light and Magic&#8221;]:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Effects2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Effects2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"416\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23750\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Effects2.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Effects2-128x73.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Effects2-300x173.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>and are introduced to both Watson and Holmes (who are &#8220;well cast and play&#8230; well together&#8221;). <\/p>\n<p>An early scene in which Holmes&#8217;s schoolmate-nemesis (Earl Rhodes) challenges Holmes to find a hidden vase on campus within an hour provides plenty of evidence of Holmes&#8217; brilliant deductive capacities, and several interactions between Holmes and his fencing instructor (Anthony Higgins) show us his capabilities as a fast-thinking combatant. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Fencing.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Fencing-1024x568.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"355\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Fencing-1024x568.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Fencing-300x166.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Fencing-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Fencing-768x426.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Fencing-1536x852.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Fencing-487x270.png 487w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Fencing-1038x576.png 1038w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Fencing.png 1823w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s true that later events take quite the Indiana Jones-inspired turn, but these sequences are creepily conceived and finely mounted, and I was willing to go along for the ride. While it&#8217;s certainly not &#8220;must see&#8221;, I&#8217;d recommend this one as worth a once-look. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The incredibly animated (by Industrial Light and Magic) hallucinations<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Effects.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Effects.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"416\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Effects.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Effects-128x73.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Effects-300x173.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>Fine period production design<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Production.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Production.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"416\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23751\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Production.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Production-128x73.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Production-300x173.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"416\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-23752\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Cinematography.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Cinematography-128x73.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Young-Sherlock-Holmes-Cinematography-300x173.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;s recommended for Holmes fans. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0090357\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/young-sherlock-holmes-1985#:~:text=The%20plot%20of%20%22Young%20Sherlock,stories%20by%20Arthur%20Conan%20Doyle.&#038;text=It%20also%20doesn't%20take,girl%20played%20by%20Sophie%20Ward.\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=3587&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/moria.co.nz\/fantasy\/youngsherlockholmes.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/young-sherlock-holmes\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I suspect foul play.&#8221; Synopsis: Young John Watson (Alan Cox) meets Sherlock Holmes (Nicholas Rowe) at boarding school, and proceeds to help him solve a series of mysteries involving hallucinogenic-inspired suicides. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Barry Levinson Films Cults Detectives and Private Eyes Historical Drama Murder Mystery Sherlock Holmes Films Response to Peary\u2019s Review: Peary notes that the primary problem of this &#8220;amiable if weakly written tale&#8221; (produced by Steven Spielberg, and scripted by Christopher Columbus) about &#8220;teenage Holmes&#8230;&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=23747\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23747"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92609,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23747\/revisions\/92609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}