Sherlock Holmes Spoilers Discussion

Help me!! I saw SH over the weekend and missed the very end! (The film BROKE!!!!!) Anyway, from reading the comments I see we never find out who Moriarty is. BUT, did they explain how Watson could have declared Blackwood dead when he wasn't??? That's my last burning question! Thanks!

the hydrated root of den-drum that was in Riordan's lab was used to slow his pulse so it looked like he was dead and he used some sort of hook attached to his belt to support him when he was being hanged

I absolutely LOVED this movie. I finally saw it yesterday and I loved the how the film showed the grit of 19th century England. The smokey skyline and the muddy roads and the superb wardrobe made me feel like I was actually in England in the late 1800's. I thought that Downey's performance of Holmes was great, but for some reason I really LOVED the way Jude Law played Dr. Watson. IMO, the strongest character in the movie. I'm going to have to say that this is my second favorite movie of 2009...right after Star Trek. Hoping to see Avatar next week, but I can't see it being a more engaging film than Holmes...especially with a nearly 3 hour time. I didn't want Holmes to end. The movie really moved along well.

I'm really glad that they didn't have Moriarty as the main villain in the first movie. There is no way they could have made Blackwood the great villain he was in a sequel after dealing with Holmes' most well known adversary in the first film (if it was Moriarty). Setting up the sequel to introduce Moriarty is a great move and actually sets up the next TWO Holmes films. I am really curious as to who Moriarty is going to be played by. How cool would it be if it was Ed Norton? :P

Well Adler be in the sequel

@smart

i know what the free masons are and what they stand for(just finished the lost symbol), but i feel like they were trying to make an amalgam of it and other groups in this movie. It just didn't feel like a fully fleshed out and fully explained idea to me.

Just FYI Holmes has had dealings with masons that were not very masonish (Valley of Fear) so sometimes he does deal with real groups. When ACD did that in the books he usually was clear that the bad group was in fact not living up to the moral code of their brotherhood. The group in this story is either a fictious group or a combo of several groups from the time (feternal orders were popular during the time period).

For some reason, I kept thinking that Moriarty was the black haired guy with the vandyke. Of course, I could be wrong but I kept thinking Moriarty is someone who is in a lesser role than Blackwood so he could pull the strings. Brad Pitt would be a big name draw but I don't know if he has the ability to pull off an English professor with a brutal intellect and "an almost irresistable appeal", as Countess Barthollomew in Trek: TNG put him. In any event, I'm looking forward to seeing the sequel.

@JohnN

The organization in the film was most certainly NOT the Masons, nor was it the Nights Templar. Granted, some of the symbolism used in the film could confuse a "Non-Mason." The Freemasons are a fraternal order whose members strive to better themselves as well as their communities. Freemasons must believe in a higher power and attribute the creation of the universe to God. There is no connection between the occult or magic. "The Order" in the film is purely fictional. I just wanted to make that clear.

Brad Pitt does not have that menacing quality about him, but who knows, it could work.

I also read in many places that Brad Pitt was being brought in to film scenes for the first movie as Prof. M, but obviously having seen the movie there was not Pitt to be found. But I am sure that I read that he is a runner for Prof. M.

professor m is Ed Tolputt

I had District 9 as the Best Movie of the Year for me last year (that wasn't animated - UP was masterful), right in front of STAR TREK for satisfaction.

I saw AVATAR this evening and was able to NOT look where the 3D stuff was pointing me and there's a lot more there than people want to admit. I'm going to see about writing up a few things as we end the year here to showcase my thoughts. There's a LOT more in that movie than people want to admit at this point.

@fred

Don't get me wrong, i loved avatar, its probably gonna win every technical award for the next 2 years. But i came out feeling unsatisfied. I'm not sure where district 9 stacks up tho, cause i really loved that movie as well, but it was shoved in there with all the other bs this year like transformers, and I was just partially numb to it.JOh

I loved this movie. The stronger Watson character was perfect. In the books, Watson is less and that just makes Holmes seem pompous, not cocky or arrogant which is what Downey, Jr. pulled off brilliantly.

What I was disappointed with was Irene Adler. I adore Rachel McAdams and she starts out as a strong character but turns into a damsel-in-distress for a time about half-way through the movie. It was a bit of a let down.

@JohnN

I agree with you, harry potter and twilight seem like corny crap when compared ot Avatar and Sherlock Holmes, but avartar was not that good and the movie was too long, I got sick of the special effects by the one hour mark, not that the special effects/CGI/sceneries were bad, but I prefer plot and engaging characters over a war/action movie with an important message.

But yes, Sherlock Holmes > every other film this year. It is also funny how Sherlock was the last major movie to hit cinemas this year as well, guess Hollywood was saving the best for last.

It is being reported that Holmes made 24.5 million and Avatar made 23 million on CHristams Day..both records by the way..one-two powerful punch..ending 2009 nine on a great note for Hollywood…Warner Brothers will cross the 2 billion dollar box office dollar mark on Saturday..WOW!! That’s never been done before by a studio..

P.S. Speaking of Professor Moriarty, I CAN'T WAIT to see where they go with that one!

@JohnN,
They struck me more along the lines of Templar Knights but then the makers did a VERY good job of not coming close to any particular cult or religion in this film. Even the so-called black magic had none of the true paraphernalia of devil worship. That is to say, the elements were similar but not correct.
Another thing that was incorrect was Sherlock Holmes reference to Revelations 1:18. There is no book of Revelations in the Bible. There IS a Book Of Revelation.
That's like me referring to "The Work Of Shakespeare" and not the "Works". But Hey, that's not what 'writers' are getting paid for right?
(Dang! I loved that movie!)

loved the movie, the plot was much better than that of avatar, as much as it pains me to say. Why is it that the best 2 movies of the year came out in december? This whole year has been filled with crap untill now.

Btw why didnt they just call "the order" the masons, cause with all due respect, isnt that what they are?

he could be an anonymous man and not the anonymous man... I think it's an interesting idea though that the part could be uncast so that they could cast it if/when they did the sequal

I did some research.
Ed Tolputt is a real actor .
I have seen his photo at his Facebook page and the largest casting website in the U.K.
He is listed for Sherlock Holmes playing the anonymous man .
He Doesnt have a huge film background but he does have an extensive stage experience .
He may be a stand in for a famous actor who might play Moriarty next time ,
But Ed Tolputt Is REALLY Ed Tolputt!

I remember reading a while back, that Brad Pitt was going to fill the role of M. I can't find the link anymore.

I'm sure it's a big name actor and the fact that they aren't telling anyone who it is makes it huge news to me. I'm suprised that they have kept it this big a secret. I mean no one seems to know who he is and he doesn't get credit anywhere in the movie for the role. Prof M is Sherlocks great rival and his inclusion sets the film up for an obvious sequal. It adds a very cool layer to what is already a great movie. Who is the Professor???

I stayed through the credits and since Prof. M never showed in the credits, the only possible credit for him was "Anonymous Man" played by Ed Tolputt... but seeing as how Mr. Tolputt's credits are pretty thin, I'm guessing it was either he was just a placeholder for now or it was someone else altogether.

The character isn't even listed as such on imdb, you've got me curious...
:-)
I'm gonna have to read the credits really close, now!
(Is the character a spoiler for folk who are SH fans???)
I mean... he was even in "Young Sherlock Holmes" (One of my absolute fav "Alternate Universe" stories!!!)

I need to know who is playing prof M. All I can find says that it is russel crow and I know the voice sounded familar but I'm not sure that it was him. I need to see it again, which I will do. I just wondered if anyone already knew who was playing prof M?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/fc/celebrity.html
interesting but if you scan down to the bit about Hugo Weaving possible playing of the Red Skull they mention him as being in Sherlock Holmes, strange I don't remember seeing him mmmmmmm