The Sign of Four

Sherlock Holmes is idling in his London flat once again in this masterful new adventure based on the classic part of the Canon "The Sign of Four." This time with Matt Frewer as the languid and yet surprisingly agile Sherlock Holmes, the film is well-placed, excellently-filmed, and any true Sherlockian will enjoy it. A few liberties have been taken from the original script, but are lost in the excellent dialogue and London fog as they follow the notorious murderer, Jonathan Small, and his strange and unearthly savage to uncover a twisting tale of deception, secrets, lies, betrayal, and murder.

Overall, the film's a lot of fun. It gives a new angle to Sherlock Holmes - a comical one, while never overdoing Holmes' brilliance. A friend had never been "interested" in Holmes before now - she liked Frewer's serious and yet proud adaptation. The costuming is standard fare - that of the older version, with Ian Richardson as Holmes, was better done as far as the heroine's wardrobe - and it has enough excitement to keep you entertained, while adding a touch of romance and strain between Watson and Holmes; the result being Holmes' famed speech on the "dangers of women."

An excellent second installment in the series of four by Hallmark Entertainment. I hope the rest of the miniseries is as eventful and imaginative as this one.