First and foremost: Yes. Everything you’ve heard about Robert Downey Jr. in this role is absolutely true. This reinterpretation of the character required someone who could do brains and brawn equally well and RDJ completely delivered. What’s more, he infused Holmes with a fierce energy that simply didn’t have an “off” switch. If he wasn’t acting toward his enlightenment or toward helping others, he was working either to wear down those around him or to tear himself apart.

Which brings me to those moments of introspection for Holmes. A lot of people don’t seem to realize or mention this aspect of the film, but it was always going to be what made or broke it. Regardless of the casting, action or production value, if Holmes’ conclusions were presented in an incomprehensible or boring fashion, this movie would have been dead in the water. Fortunately, I’m glad to say that RDJ, Guy Ritchie and everyone behind the scenes clearly went to great pains in making Holmes’ mental journeys wonderful to look at and easy to follow. Ritchie does this by working with perception and alternate series of events in a fashion similar to Memento, The Prestige and Timecrimes. And the execution was every bit as masterful as it was in any of those three films.

Additionally, I had concerns with the slo-mo action scenes that we all saw in the trailers. First of all, it’s only done with that one action scene from the trailer and with one more at the start of the movie. Second, I wish they had done it more frequently. Listening to Holmes’ calculations and plans was very entertaining and the slow-motion punches were delivered with such palpable force that it got an audience reaction every time. Watching it the second time at regular speed was amazing. I realize that on paper, it sounds like this approach shouldn’t work. In practice, however, it’s satisfying in a way that I don’t know how to describe in words.

Then there’s Jude Law. Again, everything you’ve heard about him is absolutely true. It was very refreshing to see someone remember that Watson is, in fact, a medical doctor and his expertise in this is used very effectively. More importantly, Watson has now been officially promoted from “sidekick” to “partner.” This is Watson’s movie every bit as much as it is Sherlock’s and the movie is much better for it. Additionally, their banter and chemistry were spot-on in ways that simply cannot be bought with a few hundred million dollars or created on a server farm.

Sadly, though the cast is a damn strong chain from end to end, Rachel McAdams is the weak link. She does a serviceable job, but RDJ goes through the movie without ever turning down his manic energy. Law can handle working with that. McAdams simply can’t. If the role had been cast just a few years older and more experienced, Adler would have been a much more formidable frenemy.

As for the villain… well, he’s Mark Strong. What else can I say?

I’ve heard the plot compared to that of a Dan Brown novel. The comparisons are incorrect as Dan Brown at least pretends — to some degree — that the various cults and rituals in his books are historically accurate. In this movie, you can practically hear Ritchie and co. yelling “Fuck that noise!” They don’t even bother trying to pass off Blackwood’s cult as remotely based on anything real, so they make up whatever voodoo B.S. they want and run like hell with it.

Unfortunately, this movie’s plot is actually quite similar to a Dan Brown novel in that the villain’s overall scheme pretty much glides on rails through the movie and isn’t really affected by our hero until the very end. And while we’re on the subject, the climax on that under-construction bridge could have been much better. The fisticuffs with Blackwood didn’t go on nearly long enough, there were too many conveniently-placed beams and ropes, and the obligatory pause for Holmes to explain everything went on for way too long.

As a final note, I’d like to say that the score and sound design proved that a film doesn’t need 3D to give the illusion of really being there. Absolutely kickass work.

The last few minutes of the movie are marginally disappointing, especially with the cliffhanger that doesn’t end the movie so much as beg for a sequel. Still, this was a very entertaining and well-made film that absolutely warrants a viewing. In fact, a second viewing might do you good.