Page 18 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • March 31, 2010 ‘Sherlock Holmes’ provides new take on a classic by Dennis Seuling “Sherlock Holmes” (Warner Home Video) finds Holmes and Watson in Victorian-era London arriving just in time to save the latest victim of a series of ritualistic murders and uncover the killer: Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong). As Blackwood is about to be executed, he boasts that death has no power over him. When that prediction comes true, London and Scotland Yard are left baffled. To Holmes, however, the game is afoot, and he and Watson enter a world of dark arts and new technology, where logic proves to be the best crime-fighting weapon. “Sherlock Holmes” is a sort of derring-do interpretation of the celebrated detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The title character is played by Robert Downey Jr. His able assistant, Dr. Watson, is portrayed by Jude Law. Downey’s take on Holmes is more physical and given to acrobatic adventures than his screen predecessors, as he engages in a bare-knuckle fight, jumps out of a window into the Thames, and does battle with a nemesis atop the under-construction Tower Bridge. Law’s Watson is a dashing figure, hardly the muttering, flustered sidekick that Nigel Bruce portrayed in 14 films. As a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes character, I was Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. in ‘Sherlock Holmes.’ disappointed with this latest film. The look is lush, with computer generated images providing detailed scenes of late-1800s London. But this action-hero Holmes seems derived more from “Die Hard” films than Doyle stories. There are some nods to Holmes’ astonishing ability to piece together clues in solving crimes, but director Guy Ritchie relies far more on breakneck editing and nonstop action than the workings of the detective’s keen mind. There are so many larger-than-life action heroes on screen. We really don’t need a superhero reimagining of one of literature’s most famous sleuths. The DVD edition contains the featurette “Sherlock Holmes: Reinvented.” The Blu-ray edition contains this featurette along with still galleries, storyboard comparisons, a timeline, and a digital copy. “An Education” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) stars Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson, and Dominic Cooper. Set in 1960s England, the film focuses on Jenny (Mulligan), an intelligent young school girl who is disenchanted with the mundane, middle-class existence that might lie ahead for her. She longs for adulthood and a chance to experience more of life. She meets David (Sarsgaard), an attractive older man, who introduces her to his world of glamorous friends, chic jazz clubs, and her own sexual awakening. What might have been a routine coming-of-age story turns out to be far more, primarily because of the excellent cast, including Cara Seymour as Jenny’s mother, Molina as her uninspiring father, and Thompson as a teacher who is challenged by Jenny’s misgivings about the curriculum she and her peers have to master to move on in life. The film’s primary conflict is whether Jenny should further her education or continue to enjoy a perceived exciting life in David’s shadow. Mulligan, a fresh face to movies, rightfully earned a Best Actress nomination. Blu-ray and DVD extras include deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, “Walking the Red Carpet,” and commentary with director Lone Scherfig and actors Mulligan and Sarsgaard. “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” (Summit Entertainment), the sequel to “Twilight,” is no masterpiece, but is more fun than the first picture. The strange romance between Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) continues as Bella remains drawn to Edward, but he pushes her away because he doesn’t want to turn her into a vampire. His reason is never made clear. Complications arise when Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner, muscled up considerably since the first “Twilight”) becomes the third part of a romantic triangle as the shirtless wolf boy. Jacob is easily the focus in “New Moon” as Edward disappears for a good portion of the movie, allowing Lautner to make quite an impression. He has the intensity and good looks to (continued on page 20) K IRK E RS INN Sauerbrauten • Schnitzels • Bavarian Sausages Goulash • Potato Pancakes • Dumplings Spaetzel and more. GERMAN FULL BEERS ON TAP Plus Our Regular Menu • Reservations Suggested TOP GERMAN AMERICAN RESTAURANT IN BERGEN & PASSAIC COUNTIES BAR Open Monday-Saturday – Noon-Midnight • Closed Sunday www.kirkers.com • All Major Credit Cards Accepted 237 Diamond Bridge Ave, Hawthorne • 973-427-7700 3-31-10 kathy/janine ToroSushi2x7BWWithCoupon(3-31-10)