Whilst many ‘hard-core’ fans of the tales of the private detective huffed and puffed at the very idea of the Ritchie-Downey Jnr combination, I on the other hand rushed to the cinema and was delighted at the fresh reinvention of this old and dusty cinematic relic. And in answer to those ‘hard-core-Holmes-fans’: Yes! Your British icon has been subjected to a certain amount of Hollywood magic dust, but the result is a witty, charming and thoroughly entertaining film.

It’s London in the 1890s and a series of ritual murders by Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) and his secret society has caught the attention of private detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his partner John Watson (Jude Law). In an attempt to foil Blackwood’s plan to take over England, Holmes and Watson run into the traditional scuffles they seem inherently predisposed to. Such ‘scuffles’ are subjected to Ritchie’s gritty edge; one slow-motion fight scene in particular is incredibly familiar (replace the banjo with The Stranglers Golden Brown and you’ve basically got Snatch). However, this style works perfectly, and, infused with a rough raucous energy, the film feels more faithful to the Arthur Conan Doyle tales than some of the more cerebral and dry adaptations we have seen previously.