Review of Mr. Holmes (2015) by Jason M — 26 Jul 2015

Mr. Holmes.

Initial Reaction: Elementary, my dear Watson (sorry, couldn't resist).

Main Characters.

Sherlock Holmes: Yeah, that guy. He's played by Ian McKellen.

Roger: He's a boy played by Milo Parker.

Plot Summary.

It is Holmes's twilight years - he's getting up there in age. So, he heads out to his bee farm while under the care of a woman and her son, Roger.

Holmes and Roger instantly strike up a liking to one another, so Holmes tells him about his very last case.

Holmes's last cast involves a man who thinks his wife is being manipulated by others, and he wants to find out what's going on.

But Holmes is losing his marbles (so to speak), so recalling the details of the last case is hard to do. He has trouble recalling names. And he's not in perfect physical condition, either.

But even with those limitations, he still has the power of deduction, and with the help of Roger, get the truth about his last case out into the open.

SCORING.

Main Characters.

This is one side of Holmes that doesn't get much light; he's much more emotional and fragile than any other Holmes before him. It makes for a very likable character.

And I like Roger as the kid who wants to follow in Sherlock's steps. SCORE: 9.

Other Characters.

Rogers Mother is great as the woman who has to keep everything on an even keel, and the characters in Holmes's last case are intriguing to say the least.

But there's part of the film where he meets up with a Japanese guy to get medicine for his ailing mind - whom I found to be not needed. SCORE: 8.

Plot.

The plotline involving Holmes's stay at the bee farm is great as is his last case. But the film (for me) goes a bit off the rails when Holmes visits Japan to get that cure for his ailing mind. I felt that was just padding. SCORE: 7.

Originality.

This Sherlock differentiates itself from the others by having Holmes show more emotion - and say that it's not just the evidence that solves cases, but what you do with said evidence. SCORE: 8.

Violence Factor.

There's not much violence in the film, but insects sting someone - a lot. And there are a few falls and such. But any crimes investigated don't get too intense. SCORE: 8.

Other Moral Issues.

This film does a good job of showing that aging isn't for wimps, but it can be overcome with help from others like family (or in this case a kid and his mother). SCORE: 9.

Final Score (out of 60): 49 % Score: 81.67%.

Holmes does it again - even if years later he forgets that he did it again.