| Sherlock Holmes is a 2009 picture edition of Arthur | | | | captured by a tripwire, setting off an explosion; |
| Conan Doyle's story bound character of the same | | | | Watson is able to alert Holmes and Alder to safety |
| name. The feature film was directed by Guy Ritchie | | | | but is terribly injured himself in the explosion. Holmes |
| and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan | | | | learns he is wanted by the cop and goes into hiding, |
| Downey and Dan Lin. | | | | and reflects on the hints he has collected. He comes |
| In 1891 London, Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) | | | | to realize that Blackwood is attempting to cast a spell |
| and Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) chase to stop a | | | | based on the sphinx, with the three murdered tied to |
| human sacrifice ritual conducted by Lord Blackwood | | | | three of the mythical creature's animal constituents: |
| (Mark Strong). Holmes and Watson prevent the | | | | man, ox, and eagle. Holmes deduces the fourth, the lion, |
| sacrifice just in time and neutralize Lord Blackwood, | | | | is symbolized by the English Parliament. Holmes allows |
| after which the cop, led by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie | | | | Lestrade to capture and bring him to the house |
| Marsan), get there and catch him. | | | | Secretary. Brash, the Secretary informs Blackwood's |
| Blackwood's execution occurs three months later, | | | | plot for wiping out all the Lords but save those loyal |
| during which Holmes has become bored without a | | | | supporters of his. Holmes escapes, diving into the river |
| new case. Watson prepares to leave 221B Baker | | | | Thames, and is saved by a waiting boat with Watson |
| Street to establish his own business, and he intends to | | | | and Adler in it. |
| marry Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly). Blackwood requests | | | | Regrouping with Watson and Adler, Holmes takes |
| Holmes' presence on the day of his execution, and | | | | them to the sewers below Parliament where they find |
| cautions him that three more deaths will occur after | | | | a apparatus devised by the midget that is run by a |
| his execution that will change the very nature of their | | | | remote trigger held by Blackwood that will discharge a |
| world. Later, Blackwood is executed by hanging, | | | | cyanide derivative into the Parliament chambers. The |
| affirmed dead by Watson himself. | | | | three fight off Blackwood's men and remove the |
| Holmes is re-acquainted with Irene Adler (Rachel | | | | cyanide cylinders from the machine. Adler grabs the |
| McAdams), the only one who has managed to outfox | | | | cylinders and races away, followed by Holmes; |
| him. She offers him an amount of money to practice a | | | | Blackwood becomes alert his apparatus has failed and |
| case of a missing red-haired midget by the name of | | | | shortly follows thereafter. The three pull in at the top of |
| Reardon. Holmes disguises himself to find the identity | | | | the Tower Bridge, still under construction. Blackwood |
| of Adler's employer, but can only guess him as a | | | | knocks Adler to a lower platform, where she falls |
| professor. Three days after Blackwood's execution, | | | | unconscious. Holmes tricks Blackwood into becoming |
| his vault is found destroyed, from the inside out, and an | | | | entangled in the ropes and chains, and Blackwood is |
| witness reports seeing Blackwood walking away. | | | | soon hanging dangerously from these over the |
| Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade find Blackwood's coffin | | | | Thames while Holmes recounts that all of Blackwood's |
| contains the body of the red-haired midget. Holmes | | | | "mystical" tricks were applications of science and |
| follows hints from a pocket timepiece on the body to | | | | trickery. Holmes intends for Blackwood to stand |
| the midget's home, where they learn some chemistry | | | | judgment but, tangled in ropes, Blackwood falls and is |
| experiments. They narrowly avoid capture by three | | | | hanged by the chains. Holmes helps Adler get well, |
| thugs that have arrived to eliminate the proof in the | | | | though handcuffs her. She explains that the mystifying |
| house, but subsequently are caught for property | | | | caped man in the wagon is one Professor Moriarty. |
| damage. Watson is freed on bail by Miss Morstan, | | | | Holmes drops the key to the cuffs in Adler's bosom |
| while Holmes is taken to the Temple of the Four | | | | and leaves her, returning to Watson. The police arrive |
| Orders, an occult-dabbling secret society. Their leaders | | | | to inform a dead officer found near Blackwood's |
| disclose Blackwood was an ex- associate, and plead | | | | device, and Holmes deduces that chasing Adler and |
| for Holmes to help stop him. Holmes declines their kind | | | | fighting Blackwood was a diversion by Moriarty, who |
| offers of reward but continues to probe. As Holmes | | | | used the diversion to take a key component of |
| and Watson probe, the two superior members are | | | | Blackwood's remote control machine from the |
| killed through clear magical means by Blackwood, and | | | | {machine|apparatus. |
| he assumes control of the order, desiring to use the | | | | The film was released in the United States on |
| Order's power to push for England to retake the | | | | December 25, 2009, and on December 26, 2009, in the |
| United States after their civil war has weakened their | | | | UK, Ireland, and the Pacific. Review aggregator Rotten |
| defenses. Blackwood orders the home Secretary, a | | | | Tomatoes reports that 68% of 183 critics have given |
| associate of the Order, to issue a warrant for Holmes' | | | | the feature film a positive review, with a rating |
| capture. | | | | average of 6.1 out of 10. The feature film opened to an |
| Holmes and Watson go behind hints to an industrial | | | | estimated $65,380,000 in its first weekend, placing in |
| slaughterhouse, where they are taunted by Blackwood | | | | second at the US box office to Avatar, which grossed |
| and forced to release Adler from a deathly conveyor | | | | $75 million. |
| belt trap. Watson chases after Blackwood but is | | | | |