Sherlock Holmes has been quite an inspirational figure in
more ways than one. Many other fictional detectives have been created based on
him, his exploits have been adapted to the screen, multiple times, he has
inspired many spin-off works such as ‘The
Beekeeper’s Apprentice, ‘A
Study in Emerald’, and ‘The
Seven Percent Solution’, and he is one the most, if not the most, portrayed
characters on screen.
There has been a recent uptake in interest in this character
with 3 screen interpretations. There have been many adaptations before, but
most of them were true to the original works. 3 contemporary versions all use
the stock Doyle characters, but are quite distinct works. Here I try to compare
these 3 bodies of work and figure out which works best; for me, at least.
While series such as HOUSE are also clear inspirations, I’ve
excluded them as they do not have the Holmes and Watson characters by name.
There may be some spoilers ahead for those who haven’t
watched, but not too much.
The minor awards (2/1/0 point):
Moriarty
Professor Moriarty appears in only a couple of the Doyle
stories, and is mentioned in passing in a few more. However in most of the
screen spin-offs, this character plays a much bigger role, usually the recurring
arch-enemy. Andrew Scott’s performance
in Shelock is IMO the best of the 3. He created a compelling rival to Holmes
& Watson, playing the character with a bit of a psychopathic streak. The idea
of ‘Consulting Criminal’ was a nice add-on. Elementary had a clever twist to
the character, however as most of Moriarty’s exploits happened before the
events in the series, the character’s impact is not as memorable. The Moriarty
in the 2 movies hardly registered.
Sherlock 2 Elementary
1 Movies 0
Irene Adler
This is another character that appears in just one of the
book stories, but comes up in almost every screen version of Holmes. The stock
romantic interest for Holmes, though that has not been really implied in the
books, Irene has been played by 3 beautiful actresses in the 3 versions. Natalie
Dormer and Rachel McAdams are both impressive. However it is only Lara Pulver’s
character in Sherlock that intellectually challenges the detective in solving a
case.
Sherlock 4 Elementary
2 Movies 0
Mary Watson
She has not appeared in Elementary yet. The Mary in Sherlock
is quite a departure from the books. Somehow seems to over complicate the
story-line. Kelly Reilly’s portrayal in the movies was the closest to Doyle
character.
Sherlock 5 Elementary
2 Movies 2
Mycroft Holmes
A 3rd personality with a minor role in the books,
but is found in all the screen adaptations. All played by accomplished actors
as well. Both the TV series show some animosity between the brothers, which
does not exist in the books. While he does not have a big role in the movies, Stephen
Fry is always a welcome sight. Rhys Ifans’ character in Elementary started off
as a distraction from the plots, but then became more central to the stories.
Mark Gatiss, on the other hand, began impressively in Sherlock, but became more
of an annoying presence in later episodes. Will tend to not award anyone full
points for this.
Sherlock 6 Elementary
3 Movies 3
Mrs Hudson
Una Stubbs in Sherlock easily wins this one. Especially with
her repeated efforts to remind her tenants that she is their landlady, and not
their housekeeper.
Sherlock 8 Elementary
4 Movies 3
Inspector Lestrade
Rupert Graves in Sherlock stands out as the most memorable of
the 3. Would remember him for saying, "Sherlock
Holmes is a great man, and some day, if we're very very lucky, he might even be
a good one."
Sherlock 10 Elementary
4 Movies 4
Inspector Gregson
Only Elementary has a significant role for him, played by Aidan
Quinn.
Sherlock 10 Elementary
6 Movies 4
Sebastian Moran
While he does appear in all three, it is only Vinnie Jones
that leaves a lasting impression. An Arsenal fan to boot.
Sherlock 10 Elementary
8 Movies 5
The Villains
The most impressive is Charles Augustus Magnussen, who’s
based on Milverton from the books. For him alone Sherlock would get top points.
However all the villains portrayed in Sherlock are intellectual challenges.
Elementary falters a bit on this count. This is understandable given the large
number of episodes, each with a fresh plot. Lord Blackwood was a worth rival in
the 1st movie.
Sherlock 12 Elementary
8 Movies 6
Non-Canonical characters
Elementary has Marcus Bell & Kitty boosting up the
interest levels. Molly Hooper does the same in Sherlock, as does SImza (Noomi
Rapace) in the movies. Elementary has the edge here as the characters are more
prominent.
Sherlock 13 Elementary
10 Movies 6
The More Important Awards (4/2/0 points)
Story plots
The movies are more of thrill-a-minute escapades than
whodunits. Sherlock had some good plots in the 1st 2 seasons, before
it became too melodramatic in the 3rd. It is Elementary that is most
faithful to the central puzzle-solving ideas of the originals.
Honestly do not know what screenplay exactly means. But I
think this has also been covered here.
Sherlock 15 Elementary
14 Movies 6
Holmes
Benedict Cumberbatch became a star through Sherlock. He has
managed to capture most of the quirks and eccentricities quite well. However he
has tended to overplay certain idiosyncrasies and ham a bit, in each
progressive season. I’d think Robert Downey Jr, comes across more convincing as
Holmes, playing him with a bit of insouciance, but still resonates with the
book descriptions on focus and determination. Johnny Lee Miller isn’t quite as impressive as
the other 2. Will go for Downey on this one, closely beating Cumberbatch.
Sherlock 17 Elementary
14 Movies 10
Watson
This is, IMO, the most important role in the stories. While the
titular character may have more airtime, and dialogue, it is Watson through
whom, we see the stories. Holmes is an eccentric and brilliant genius, even
beyond the smart ones amongst us. It is Watson, who the audiences can identify
with, and through whose eyes we witness the genius at work.
All 3 series have established actors playing Watson. However
it is in this department that Sherlock steals a march over the other 2. Martin
Freeman has probably given the best performance of any actor across the 3 sets.
He displays the right balance of surprise at the events, and enthusiasm to
involve himself, that we fans can identify with, as our own emotions at those
junctures. A gender change for Watson in Elementary is a good novelty. But Lucy
Liu displays more weariness, than disbelief, at Holmes’ antics. Jude Law seems
all too eager to jump into the action, as if he is on the same wavelength as
Downey’s character. So not an effective window for the audience.
Sherlock 21 Elementary 16 Movies 10
Overall
All are very good re-interpretations of the classic stories.
The 2 TV series are a tad better than the movies. Guy Ritchie’s version is a
bit like AC Doyle meets the Wild Wild West. Sherlock has tended to become a bit
melodramatic in Season 3. Elementary has continued to focus on mysteries;
however it tends to meander a bit too frequently, into existential angst of
addicts. Sherlock comes out as the best, mainly due to 2 factors.
- A very finely written Watson, that has been portrayed exceptionally well by Martin Freeman. The standout actor across the 3 sets,
- Well-developed and distinct characters all around, be it Moriarty, or Mrs Hudson, all pushing the story forward without distraction.
