Holmes and Watson

It’s time for some detective work. Let’s use our skills and analyze what went wrong with 2018’s Holmes and Watson. This mystery comedy film starring Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, and Ralph Fiennes was a disappointment for many. Rated PG-13 and taking place in London, England, it takes the fame of its stars and makes it come crashing down.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are trying to solve their newest mystery. Somebody is plotting to kill the Queen and is using the identity of Holmes’ greatest enemy, Professor Moriarty. As Holmes and Watson struggle to solve this case, Watson also tries to get Holmes to make him his co-detective as opposed to just an assistant. Will this case be solved in time? Will Holmes ever make Watson his co-detective?

Going into this movie, I thought that the idea of combining Will Ferrell with Sherlock Holmes was a bad idea, because Will Ferrell movies are filled with silly humor, whereas Sherlock Holmes books and movies are all about logic. However, there was still the possibility of a fun experience filled with laughs based on some of Will Ferrell’s earlier movies. Unfortunately, the movie did not deliver on this. Out of all the jokes in the movie, there was rarely ever a laugh. It was a boring watch that you just wanted to be over. I do like Will Ferrell movies, with Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy being a favorite comedy movie of mine. Here, he shows wasted potential and a massive betrayal to his dedicated fans.

If I do have to praise something about the movie, I will admit that there was a good mystery involved. It wasn’t obvious and it was something you actually had to think about. I didn’t even guess the culprit right in the end. But, the rest of the movie was disappointing. I don’t hate this film as much as most people, but it was a waste of time. The corny moments in this movie, such as a musical number sung by Ferrell and Reilly, remind you why Sherlock Holmes wasn’t a comedy.

Another complaint with this movie is that, despite having a mostly talented cast, they fail to deliver. The actors in this movie give poor performances that do not show off the brilliance they normally display. In addition to the performers, there’s also the film’s director and writer Etan Cohen, who crafts the film with all of the bland jokes and moments that you see throughout. There are even a few gross out jokes that add nothing to the plot. Fortunately, there’s only a few, so the film isn’t additionally weighed down by them.

Overall, this film could have at least been funny, but it wasn’t. It took a comedic genius and a literary legend in the Holmes character, and wasted their talent, resulting in a bland, forgettable movie. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made classic mystery novels that are still being read today because of the effort and intelligence he put into them. Now, it’s become the boring mess I’ve described. He would not have been pleased with the film at all.

I consider this a bad movie, not worth watching, and I don’t recommend it.