21st Century Holmes: An Improvement on Original?

Full of explosions and fight scenes, this "Sherlock Holmes" starring Robert Downey Jr. is not consistent with the general image of classic Sherlock Holmes. Although arguably more true to the original Holmes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books with his erratic behavior and drug abuse than the ultra-intelligent, stiff detectives of popular portrayals of Holmes, many fans are still up in arms. True to character or not, Robert Downey Jr. plays a Sherlock Holmes with a dynamic personality that is more entertaining than any Holmes before him.
The movie begins where most movies end: Sherlock Holmes and his partner John Watson arrive on the scene of a ritual murder just in time to save the girl and catch the killer. However, after being hanged, Lord Blackwood returns from the dead to take on more important matters than killing girls—taking over the world. Through black magic Lord Blackwood weaves a web of seemingly impossible scenarios while Holmes unravels the case through evaluation and logic.
Director Guy Ritchie, known for his action-packed films "Snatch," "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels," and "RocknRolla" turned this 21st century Sherlock Holmes into a crime-fighting expert, with an emphasis on the fighting. Throughout the movie, Holmes and Watson encounter various henchmen of Lord Blackwood who they fight with almost superhero skills. In one scene, Holmes even fights in a dank basement boxing ring. He feeds the appetites of a special-effects-hungry audience by narrating his moves in slow motion before the scene plays in real time.
Although Robert Downey Jr. only narrates two scenes, the entire movie is shot with Holmes' perspective in mind: clues are shown for a second or two to suggest that Holmes has noticed them, voices are distorted when Holmes is dazed, and the music—often featuring a banjo—does not fit the setting but helps convey the silliness of Holmes.
Aside from the music, all of the elements of the film hold true to an 1890s London. The grimy citizens of England fit into the colorless scenery seamlessly. Even the main characters, though better dressed, do not stick out on the crowded streets. Irene Adler, played by Rachael Adams, makes a grand appearance and a lasting impression in her brightly colored dresses. The stark contrast between her and the rest of the scene uses Holmes' point of view to imply his love for her, as the rest of the world is drowned out by her beauty.
The movie ends where most movies begin: a man murdered and an important item stolen. A villain introduced earlier in the movie, Professor Moriarty, is apparently at the root of this crime, yet his intentions unknown. A case is opened as a Sherlock Holmes II is set up.