Monday, June 16, 2014

Sir Holmes & His Distinctive Skills

Title: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Genre: Action | Adventure
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris


Review: 

The feature I am observing and discussing is in the movie Sherlock Holmes (2010). It is the slow motion effect put into play during action scenes in which Holmes is a part of. Within these action scenes, Holmes goes through each step he takes in the fight in a calm and collected way. You would think this would take the ‘action’ out of it, however, it adds to the suspense and makes the scene much more intensifying. I feel that this effect makes Holmes more respectable as it shows you that he is planning each and every step he takes and that no move is done by accident. Because this movie is attempting to portray Holmes as an investigating genius, it definitely helps that he is a good fighter and a thoughtful one. Without this special effect, the fights would be fast-paced and not accurately give justice to the true thought process of his brilliant mind.
While in our readings, “critics have complained that [green screen] acting is often cold and mechanical”, I find the scenes in Sherlock Holmes to be extremely realistic regardless of the slow motion effect (Special Effects p. 3). There are of course the movies that can overdo this digital effect and create an extremely fake feel in the movie. However, Sherlock Holmes is not one of them and brings the audience a true sense of who Holmes is.
Perhaps the greatest thing about this effect is that it’s not some huge explosion, awing the audience on instinct, but instead, is a subtle but noticeable action that draws the viewer’s attention to an important and distinctive part of the film. It is quite often that the “world’s screens are dominated by soulless movies full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”, so it is interesting to see such an effect taken by this movie that is the opposite of sound and fury, but something so light, yet so dramatic creating an extremely distinguished attire for Holmes.
















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