The Alps: A Human History from Hannibal to Heidi and Beyond
Book
The Alps have seen the march of armies, the flow of pilgrims and Crusaders, the feats of...
The London Noisy Tube
Book
Young children will love to press the sound button and hear an authentic mind the gap message as...
David McK (3540 KP) rated Sherlock Holmes (2009) in Movies
Nov 1, 2020 (Updated Jan 13, 2024)
Unlike the more-contemporary set TV 'Sherlock', this is still set in Victorian times although, I have to say, that I never really took to the portrayal of Holmes in this film at all. It's also a completely-new (to the best of my knowledge) mystery for him to solve; not based on any of the Conan Doyle stories. That's both a good thing and a bad thing: it does mean that it's 'fresh' (unlike, say, another retelling of 'The Hounds of the Baskervilles'), but - I have to say - it also lacks the fun, the sense of mystery, the sheer enthrallment of the Conan Doyle stories.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Sherlock Gnomes (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
inspired story of Romeo and Juliet, but with two clans of gnomes at war
with the main destruction being to each other's gardens. Two star-crossed
lovers, Gnomeo & Juliet fall in love and after all the chaos, hate, and
near death experiences, both "gnomes houses" seek a truce and learn to
co-exist.
In the sequel, the gnomes move to London. Juliet (Emily Blunt) is so
preoccupied with rebuilding the garden, she fails to notice Gnomeo's (James
MacAvoy) needs and feelings. In other parts of London, Sherlock Gnomes
(Johnny Depp) and his faithful companion Watson (Chiwetel Eljiofor) are
investigating the disappearance of several gnomes throughout London. One
day, Gnomeo attempts at a romantic gesture goes awry when he tries to steal
an orchid for Juliet from a flower shop. Juliet ends up saving Gnomeo,
causing them to bicker and squabble and not realize all their gnome friends
and family were kidnapped. One thing leads to another and they find
themselves teaming up with Sherlock and Watson to track down all the clues
in hopes of saving their loved ones.
From the director who brought us "Kung Fu Panda," this was a major misstep
for John Stevenson. The movie was fast paced, but the story line was very
disjointed. I understand what angle they were attempting to hit here:
Don't take your loved ones for granted, but I just could not connect with
the characters. In the first film, they really focused on the
relationships between Gnomeo and his mother, Juliet and her father, and both
Gnomeo and Juliet. Those relationships were lost in this film. From the
adult perspective, the movie lacked depth, but was still entertaining.
However, the kiddos on hand loved it. They enjoyed all the high flying
suspenseful moments, the potty humor, and over the top one liners.
A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes, #1)
8.2
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Book
The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school...
adaptation retelling
The Bletchley Circle - Season 1
9.0
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TV Season
Set in 1952, "The Bletchley Circle" tells of four women who have returned to normal lives after...
The Oxford Book of Parodies
Book
Parodies come in all shapes and sizes. There are broad parodies and subtle parodies, ingenious...
Feed the Beast
Book
A fiercely funny look at the rocky relations between our press and politicians in a world of...
The stories in this collection are, for the most part, very good. The last couple weren't as engaging, but there's always going to be one or two you don't like. This collection even includes a tale about Sherlock Holmes (and Watson, of course) bt Arthur Conan Doyle himself. It was actually the first I've read of his work, and it was definitely as fantastic as I'd hoped.
Like the other book, the ten stories very from missing jewels hidden inside geese, to missing candle sticks, to death-by-radio. They're all very interesting mysteries, again seemingly simple on the surface but always a lot more incricate than they seem.
A nice collection of classic "festive" crimes. 3.5 stars.
Unmatched: Cobble & Fog
9.0
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Tabletop Game
In battle, there are no equals. Unmatched: Cobble & Fog features four new heroes for the...