preview

Sherlock Holmes V. Sherlock. There Always Seems To Be A

Decent Essays
Sherlock Holmes v. Sherlock
There always seems to be a debate on which portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is better.; the movie with Robert Downey Jr. or the show with Benedict Cumberbatch? The movie and show are based on Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle but are different in aspects such as actor portrayals, levels of complexity, and main character deaths. These aspects make the show better than the movie.
Both shows have relatively the same characters, but the portrayals vary greatly. In the movie, Robert Downey Jr. portrayal of Sherlock was very bland. Sherlock found little to no satisfaction in being a high functioning sociopath with amazing deductive skills. There was no connection with anybody in the movie; he felt nothing for
…show more content…
Watson takes care of and tries to keep Sherlock out of trouble, but is almost always ready to go on a case and join in on the troublesome game. He balances Sherlock’s sociopath tendencies but brings his own wonder to the show. Watson makes sure he is heard and is the voice of reason.
Additionally, Andrew Scott as Moriarty is perfect. He has the psychopathic behavior and is very conniving and mysterious. Scott makes him unnerving because you know he is a master criminal and will not hesitate to kill people. Yet he still keeps the character relatable. Scott makes Moriarty a serious psychotic man but brings slight comedy to the part by not being serious.
The show is better than the movie because the character portrayals are much better because they are more relatable and overall intriguing. The development of the characters is detailed but leaves enough out to keep it clouded with mystery. On top of a better portrayal of characters, the show has a better level of complexity.
In the movie, the Moriarty case was complex and difficult to follow. The case was difficult because Sherlock is going against someone on his intelligence level, so the audience struggles to keep up. Also, having a backstory with the gypsy that helped throughout the movie added to the plot but was more of a distraction. The ending was not that complex though. The impending murder kept you guessing, but not the death of Moriarty.
James Moriarty on the show
Get Access