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List Price: $9.98 | | Label: Paramount
Salesrank: 11231
Released: December 2, 2003 |
| Our Price: $5.03 |
| Used Price: $3.90 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
VICTORIAN LONDON SCHOOLBOYS HOLMES AND WATSON FORM THEIR HABITS IN PURSUIT OF A DEADLY PAGAN CULT.
Description of Young Sherlock Holmes:
This 1985 adventure directed by Barry Levinson (Rain Man) and written by Chris Columbus (Gremlins) may not have much to do with the Sherlock Holmes of Arthur Conan Doyle's invention. But it is a delightful and somewhat unexpected combination of exciting elements: Victorian-era, foggy-London mystique, Gothic horror, and Indiana Jones-like exotica. Nicholas Rowe plays Holmes as a schoolboy at a boarding academy for young men. Paired with the owlish, reticent young Watson (Alan Cox), Holmes embarks on the solution of a mystery that involves a hallucinatory and lethal drug, and a religious cult celebrating ancient Egyptian rites of mummification. Levinson makes handsome and crisp work of this Steven Spielberg production, without a trace of the treacle that often found its way into other Spielbergian projects at the time (The Goonies). Rowe is wonderfully convincing as a teen incarnation of the Great Detective, and while Cox mostly maintains Hollywood's traditionally unflattering idea of Watson, he does bring warmth and comedy to the role. The cast includes Freddie Jones as an eccentric inventor, Anthony Higgins as the villain, and Sophie Ward as Holmes's love interest. --Tom Keogh
Young Sherlock Holmes Reviews:
Great hidden gem! 
2009-10-23 - First caught this movie on cable a few years after it was released. I was immediately suprised at how entertaining it was (although with Spielberg as an executive producer, I guess I shouldn't have been).
I am not an avid Sherlock Holmes buff, but I always liked the premise of the stories - especially since people tend to think this was a real life character. Showing Holmes and Watson in their intial meeting and partnership was genius. A little on the supernatural side, but that just adds to the quality and keeps your interest. I also like how they explain why Sherlock avoids any future serious female relationships. And what can I say about the exceptionally debonair but evil arch-rival Moriarty....you just have to see for yourself.
I think sequels would have taken away from this original film. By the other comments I've read, I am glad to see that this film has held up well after all these years. Being a period piece, it does not suffer from ever being outdated.
For anyone that likes a thrill ride of this kind of supernatural/mystery/drama, it is a must-have!
I don't like fantasy in my Sherlock 
2009-10-21 - Just recently the nerds on one of my favorite television shows "The Big Bang Theory" mentioned enjoying this movie. I remembered enjoying it when it first came out. And especially liking the teaser at the end of the credits which most of the audience missed as they had left the theatre. But re-watching this was a big disappointment. First of all the special effects take up way to much time in the movie that could have been given to establishing a better story line. The idea of Sherlock and Watson being together in school long before the "Study in Scarlet" is distasteful. The actor playing Holmes was badly cast. And the sensational ending is just too out of step with the real mood of the Holmes stories.
The only thing really good about this is that it may have inspired the idea for Harry Potter.
Great classic mystery movie 
2009-09-01 - I hadn't seen this movie for about 15 years and it was great to be able to buy this movie and see it again after so long. It is a great classic for the young at heart.
"The Game Is Afoot." What If Sherlock Holmes And Watson Had Met As Young Boys? "Elementary." Adventure Awaits.
2009-08-01 - This excellent and imaginative take on Sherlock Holmes is well-crafted and sounds very plausible, in keeping with the fifty-six short stories and three novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about the legendary sleuth of 221B Baker Street. Written by the future director of the first two "Harry Potter" movies, produced by legendary director Steven Spielberg ("JAWS," "Raiders Of The Lost Ark," "Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom"), directed by Barry Levinson ("Rain Man") and the visual effects done by Pixar (yes, THAT Pixar), the film is terrific. SPOILER ALERT!!! With a shocking revelation at the end of the movie (stay tuned during the credits), it looked like Paramount intended this movie to be the first in a franchise. I wonder why that never happened. The love story was very well done. The film should not have been rated PG-13, as the violence is mild. "The game is afoot."
Excellent movie
2009-07-12 - I remember this movie as a kid, and it's just as good today as it was then. Special effects are great, and it's very "Harry Potter-ish" in it's cinematography and overall feel; it was co-written and directed by Chris Columbus (of Harry Potter fame)
Excellent movie, perfect for children and adults alike!
