Same super hero different costume and era in this crass, abrasive and sloppy take on the world's most famous detective. Robert Downey Jr. as the scruffy Sherlock is more Indiana Jones than London Holmes as he battles a Bela Lugosi attired villain and other imposing cliché bad guys in what amounts to the usual loud and violent devoid of introspection formulaic pap that lines them up at the box office these days. For those it should not disappoint.

Ham fisted director Guy Ritchie delivers scene after scene of action blood and gore across London where it climaxes at the semi completed London Bridge in predictable style along with the requisite franchise blockbuster serial ending promising a sequel. Save for Sherlock's ambiguous homo-erotic inclinations towards Dr. Watson nothing is left to subtlety.

D Jr. does bring a roguish charm to the character of Sherlock (as well as many of his Iron Man qualities) but too little of the implacable deductive grace and style. Ritchie instead elects to have Holmes deductive powers announced by way of blinding flashes across the screen like light bulbs in comic strips. Jude Law's Watson is also an action figure while the female leads are more scrawny than fatale though one displays some trendy karate kicks in a nod I guess to market research.

What does make this Sherlock Holmes for its time somewhat palatable is the rich set designs, costuming and CGI evoking Victorian London in both its majesty and squalor. But then again Masterpiece Theatre does the same thing every time it does a Dickens or an Austen. This comic book Holmes shows you can dress something up but it is no guarantee it will have any manners.