that sherlock holmes post I threatened to make a few days ago

[usuallyhats]

• Like I said before, I really liked it apart from one thing, and that thing was of course killing off Irene, which I was v. unhappy about. I did like that it didn't produce Epic Scenes Of Manpain, of the "no-one understands my pain" variety, and that it didn't motivate Sherlock to go on an Epic Quest For Revenge - if anything, it mostly informed his decision to protect the Watsons at all costs. I did also think it was a bit weird, as in it felt like, based on the end of the previous film, that Irene was intended to play a bigger part in this film, but then the film-makers changed their minds for some reason and had to write her out hastily. There is plenty of room to assume that she's not really dead, though, and I wouldn't be surprised to see her back in the next film. But I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't, either, to be honest.


• Moving on to stuff I did like: Maaaaaary. As with the last film, she didn't have a huge amount of screen time, but what she did have was great. I particularly appreciated the way that she was absolutely treated as being someone we care about and who is worthy of respect, even if she's not a Action Girl who can join in with the boys' adventuring. Also, it was good that she doesn't end up being a damsel in distress just because she isn't an Action Girl: there is a happy medium! It was already established that she's tough and self possessed, so it makes sense that she'd be capable of shooting someone who was attacking her and Watson, and that she'd then freak out a little; and that she'd be together enough to still be snarky even after being pushed out of a train from a great height and landing in a lake. ♥


• MY OT3! Both films do a really great job of showing that Watson's relationships with Mary and Holmes are BOTH important, and not making them mutually exclusive. There were a few great Holmes/Mary moments: Sherlock telling Mary she should start trusting him; Mary saying she misses Sherlock, in her own way; Sherlock winking at her as she was marrying Watson (!!!. He was winking at HER, right? I haven't misinterpreted that bit?). YAY. It feels slightly redundant to talk about how great all the Holmes/Watson stuff was, so I won't, but it was. ;D Oh, I will say that I loved how relaxed it all was, as if the film was just going, "here is some subtext! Have fun with it in whatever way you choose. Hurray!", rather than feeling the need to go "but they are not actually gay", as stuff too often does.


• I was SO WORRIED when Sherlock took Watson's wedding ring that there would be shenanigans and that he would lose it, and then Mary would be annoyed and there would be this whole "women! They just don't understand about IMPORTANT MANLY STUFF" thing. But there wasn't! He really was just trying to keep it safe! And succeeding! And then Sherlock was, ultimately, a grown-up about the wedding and made sure John got there on time and properly dressed and vertical and whatnot. HURRAY! Also, Jude Law's "I have a hangover and there are BAGPIPES" acting was a Thing of Beauty.


• Sim was a lot of fun, and it was great that she wasn't a love interest (so glad they avoided the whole "here is a gypsy woman, clearly she is TEMPTING our heroes with her SEXUALITY" thing), and that Holmes and Watson pretty consistently treated her as an ally, not as The Girl.


• MYCROFT. He can stay. Yes. (Also, should I be worried that when Mary was all "there are two of them?" my first thought was "no, three", and it took me a moment to realise that I was thinking of Doctor Who canon (though according to wikipedia the idea doesn't originate there)? OOPS.)


• Also I really loved all the EXPLOSIONS and FIGHTS and JOKES and PLOT and stuff. :D?

Comments

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I would be horribly upset about Irene if I wasn't bone-deep confident that they'll handwave the death in the next movie. An actress? Dying offscreen? If Mycroft didn't spirit her away, she probably bribed someone to fake her death and is living as Iris Morton in Chicago or something.

As for the rest - yes, yes, yes, especially the OT3 and Mary. How thrilled am I that something is *that* slashy and yet doesn't treat the woman as a threat or a dunce?

[usuallyhats]

I'm not 100% sure she's coming back, but I don't doubt they left the possibility open on purpose!

How thrilled am I that something is *that* slashy and yet doesn't treat the woman as a threat or a dunce?
*agrees* They manage to avoid sideling Mary AND using her as a "they're not gay really" shield, it's brilliant.