As
a "kid’s adventure" YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES ($20) works
remarkably well- mixing the Holmesian period flavor with some Indiana
Jones trappings, as well as a nice dose of effects from Industrial Light
and Magic- but then again, what would you expect from a movie that has
"Steven Spielberg presents" above the title. YOUNG SHERLOCK
HOLMES presents fans of the world’s greatest consulting detective
with the intriguing premise of what might have happened had Sherlock
Holmes and Doctor Watson had met as schoolboys. Certainly, some diehard
fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary character may see the film’s
premise as blasphemy. However, as someone who loves both the original
stories and numerous film adaptations, I find YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES
to be gentle escapist fun that remains fairly respectful of Conan Doyle’s
characters.
The
plot of YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES finds John Watson (Alan Cox) the new
boy at an English boarding school, where he encounters a fellow student by
the name of Sherlock Holmes (Nicholas Rowe). Holmes is a scholarly
overachiever, with numerous interests and a penchant for deductive
reasoning- not to mention capturing the affections Elizabeth Hardy (Sophie
Ward)- the only girl on the school grounds. As expected, young Sherlock
Holmes is the only one to see a connection in a series of seemingly
unrelated deaths, which starts Holmes and Watson into their very first
investigative adventure together- one that involves a long buried secret
and deadly Egyptian cult. The cast of YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES also
includes Anthony Higgins, Susan Fleetwood, Freddie Jones, Nigel Stock and
Roger Ashton-Griffiths.
Paramount
Home Entertainment has made YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES available on DVD
in a 1.78:1 wide screen presentation that features the anamorphic
enhancement for 16:9 displays. YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES proves to be a
very nice looking DVD, with a solid transfer of the 1985 film release. The
image is sharp and offers up rather good definition. Colors appear at a
fairly natural level of saturation, without the overt bleakness suggested
by its wintry Victorian London setting. While interiors do offer more
vibrant hues than exteriors, there are never any signs of chroma noise or
smearing. Blacks appear deep and inky, while the whites are solid.
Contrast is good and shadow detail is more than respectable. The film
element used for the transfer does have a few blemishes, but none are
particularly bothersome. Digital compression artifacts are never a cause
for concern.
YOUNG
SHERLOCK HOLMES comes with a fine sounding Dolby Digital 5.1 channel
soundtrack that nicely transcribes the film’s pre-matrixed Dolby
Surround stems. Since the sound design is of mid-1980’s vintage, it is
not surprising that the mix tends to favor the forward soundstage. The
rear channels primarily provide both ambient and musical fill, with
occasional active effects. Musical fidelity is really rather good with
Bruce Broughton’s score coming across in a full-bodied manner. Dialogue
is cleanly rendered and always fully intelligible. The bass channel gets
the job done, but little more than that. An English Dolby Surround and
French monaural track are also encoded onto the DVD. Subtitles are
included in English. The basic interactive menus allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features. No extras have been included
on the DVD.
YOUNG
SHERLOCK HOLMES is an enjoyable adventure film that places Holmes and
Watson in an intriguing "what if" premise. Paramount has done a
fine job with the film’s presentation on DVD, creating a good looking
and fine sounding offering that is certain to please fans.
As
a "kid’s adventure" YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES ($20) works
remarkably well- mixing the Holmesian period flavor with some Indiana
Jones trappings, as well as a nice dose of effects from Industrial Light
and Magic- but then again, what would you expect from a movie that has
"Steven Spielberg presents" above the title. YOUNG SHERLOCK
HOLMES presents fans of the world’s greatest consulting detective
with the intriguing premise of what might have happened had Sherlock
Holmes and Doctor Watson had met as schoolboys. Certainly, some diehard
fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary character may see the film’s
premise as blasphemy. However, as someone who loves both the original
stories and numerous film adaptations, I find YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES
to be gentle escapist fun that remains fairly respectful of Conan Doyle’s
characters.
The
plot of YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES finds John Watson (Alan Cox) the new
boy at an English boarding school, where he encounters a fellow student by
the name of Sherlock Holmes (Nicholas Rowe). Holmes is a scholarly
overachiever, with numerous interests and a penchant for deductive
reasoning- not to mention capturing the affections Elizabeth Hardy (Sophie
Ward)- the only girl on the school grounds. As expected, young Sherlock
Holmes is the only one to see a connection in a series of seemingly
unrelated deaths, which starts Holmes and Watson into their very first
investigative adventure together- one that involves a long buried secret
and deadly Egyptian cult. The cast of YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES also
includes Anthony Higgins, Susan Fleetwood, Freddie Jones, Nigel Stock and
Roger Ashton-Griffiths.
Paramount
Home Entertainment has made YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES available on DVD
in a 1.78:1 wide screen presentation that features the anamorphic
enhancement for 16:9 displays. YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES proves to be a
very nice looking DVD, with a solid transfer of the 1985 film release. The
image is sharp and offers up rather good definition. Colors appear at a
fairly natural level of saturation, without the overt bleakness suggested
by its wintry Victorian London setting. While interiors do offer more
vibrant hues than exteriors, there are never any signs of chroma noise or
smearing. Blacks appear deep and inky, while the whites are solid.
Contrast is good and shadow detail is more than respectable. The film
element used for the transfer does have a few blemishes, but none are
particularly bothersome. Digital compression artifacts are never a cause
for concern.
YOUNG
SHERLOCK HOLMES comes with a fine sounding Dolby Digital 5.1 channel
soundtrack that nicely transcribes the film’s pre-matrixed Dolby
Surround stems. Since the sound design is of mid-1980’s vintage, it is
not surprising that the mix tends to favor the forward soundstage. The
rear channels primarily provide both ambient and musical fill, with
occasional active effects. Musical fidelity is really rather good with
Bruce Broughton’s score coming across in a full-bodied manner. Dialogue
is cleanly rendered and always fully intelligible. The bass channel gets
the job done, but little more than that. An English Dolby Surround and
French monaural track are also encoded onto the DVD. Subtitles are
included in English. The basic interactive menus allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features. No extras have been included
on the DVD.
YOUNG
SHERLOCK HOLMES is an enjoyable adventure film that places Holmes and
Watson in an intriguing "what if" premise. Paramount has done a
fine job with the film’s presentation on DVD, creating a good looking
and fine sounding offering that is certain to please fans.
