Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock Holmes

Guy Ritchie’s latest blockbuster is doing very well in the movie charts currently at number two in the UK, beaten only by James Cameron’s massive hit - Avatar. However if you are expecting to see something similar to Snatch or Lockstock, you may be disappointed.

Guy Ritchie - famous for his nonchalant approach to narrative - adopts a more conventional storytelling style in Sherlock Holmes. Only when he flashes a trademark freeze frame do u realise that this is his film.

The classic British detective, played by Robert Downey Jr, is given a new lease of life in a medium which has previously been accused of cheapening the original books. Credit is due to Ritchie for his unconventional portrayal of Holmes and his successful attempt at broadening his usual demographic - even though this may come at the expense of his gangster-loving fans.

Sherlock Holmes seems to be an attempt to branch out and attract a wider audience and it looks like it’s working, given the amount of money it has already made in ticket sales. It is probably safe to say that many of those tickets were bought by women - a new audience that Ritchie has gained thanks to his aesthetically pleasing male leads. That is not to say that Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr just provide eye candy, their performances are also worthy of a mention. Jude Law is particularly good as Dr Watson.

The film has a restless quality that keeps you on your toes and makes the 128 minutes fly by. Ritchie proves to be a competent teller of this classic tale and does well mixing danger with humour making it a film worth seeing.