Does it bother anybody else? (Sherlock Holmes)

It bothers me.
But, I am a Sherlock Holmes purist.

Not at all. Never plan on reading him and I enjoy rdj

Have you ever read the actual source material? If you think Holmes was simply an erudite intellectual, you did not pay very close attention, and Watson was not simply Holmes' biographer, he was a decorated military hero.

Holmes was said to be exceedingly strong to the point of almost superhuman abilities in the stories. He could bend steel bars with his bare hands, and often engaged in physical violence during the course of his adventures. Admittedly, most of this occurred off-stage, and we only heard about it as he related his adventures to Watson.

He was also a manic-depressive who went bat-shite crazy when he did not have a case to solve.

Though Ritchie's modern portrayal of Holmes and Watson might be a bit over the top and not strictly canon, it is not a complete departure from the original stories. In fact, it is closer to the source than what many consider to be the true "Sherlock Holmes".

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He could bend steel bars with his bare hands,

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I've got the complete book collection, but I don't recall this.

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I've got the complete book collection, but I don't recall this.

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It's one of those asides that Watson makes when discussing Holmes past. Kind of like when he mentions that Holmes used to be a bare knuckle boxer and still engages in the sport as a hobby.

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Does it bother anybody else?

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That they've turned the classic literary character into a martial art, action hero?

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Yes, but I expected nothing less from the guy who directed Snatch and Lock,Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.

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Also, at least use a British actor.

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Yeah, just like they should have used an American actor to play Batman.

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Maybe. But that was mostly Watson hyperbole when it came to talking about Holmes.

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The incident of the steel pipe was actually a steel fire poker, and occurred in the Case of the Speckled Band. It's a quick two sentences. A man bends the poker in a show of strength and leaves. Holmes laughs, straightens the poker, and makes a comment.

That's it. I think the misconception stems from ACD's style of story telling. The fights were never given a detailed description. It was just,"Holmes quickly subdued the suspect." Or "Holmes overcame his four attackers."

The focus was never on Holmes fighting ability but on numerous occasions it is mentioned in passing that Holmes is an expert boxer, martial artist, swordsman, and stick fighter.

He was the 19th century equivalent of an action hero.

I think so many people have an issue with RDJs portrayal of Holmes because almost every actor who has portrayed Holmes on the screen has followed the Basil Rathbone model. It's understandable. Most people have never actually read the stories, and when they do, it is easy to gloss over examples of Holmes superior physical abilities in favor of his powers of deduction and reason (that is the focus afterall.), but they are there.

If I had one bone to pick, it would be the forced inclusion of Irene Adler in two consecutive movies, but modern audiences need a female lead, and she is much more interesting than Watson's wife.

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Add to that, that I find Robert Downey Jr. to be a huge douchebag,

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You're missing out on a bunch of great movies