It seems that vampires aren’t the only ones currently enjoying a renaissance on our screens, with the resident of 221b Baker Street also making a revival. Not only will Holmes be seen on our small screens later this year in the new BBC series Sherlock, scribed by Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentleman) and Steven Moffat (writer and executive producer of Doctor Who), but director Guy Ritchie has re-invented the detective for the big screen in this release.

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) and his faithful companion Dr Watson (Jude Law) are going through an awkward period of transition. Watson is about to leave their Baker Street address to move in with his new love. Holmes is clearly not happy about this new arrangement. Luckily for the both of them, a new wave of mysterious murders sweeps the cobbled streets of London, which gives the easily distracted detective a new challenge to focus on.

Their new case begins when known serial killer Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) resumes his reign of terror. There’s nothing unusual regarding the news of him killing again; however it takes on a new light when the investigative duo had only recently witnessed Blackwood’s death at the gallows. Can a man known to dabble in the dark arts, come back from the grave?

To complicate matters, Holmes finds that a former adversary, professional thief and love interest Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) who approaches him for help, may also be involved with Blackwood somehow. With so much at stake, it’s imperative that Holmes and Watson solve the case to save the day.

Oh damn, Watson, you see what time it is? Time for me to get inside that bloody tin can again.

With Ritchie at the helm, this ‘re-imagining’ of the classic Holmes character could easily have sunk to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Pistols territory. And for the most part, it doesn’t. He’s certainly stamped his stylish look on this re-boot, with sexy slow-mo shots and well-crafted fight scenes in place. And despite making Holmes a lot hipper, he still shows a lot of respect for the source material.

It does feel like Downey has been given free rein to deliver a Holmes that has never been seen before; perhaps too much freedom. His Holmes is a man of many talents: he’s an inventor, a fighter, and a musician to name but a few. He is also unshaven, unkempt and more than a little unhinged. His behaviour is likened to a sober Withnail, perhaps on a permanent sugar rush. His eyes constantly revealing how unstable he is. However Downey at times adds an almost clownish quality to the character, which seems just a step too far in the wrong direction for our beloved Holmes. It’s understandable however, when you consider that Downey has played a super tin can for two films.

Law may well have saved his wavering career with what is essentially a supporting lead role. His Watson, despite being more athletic and rugged than usually portrayed, isn’t a million miles away from how one expects the good doctor to be. All his traits are intact, but throwing him in the middle of a love triangle between his girlfriend Mary (Kelly Reilly) and Holmes certainly makes him more interesting.

Rent-a-baddie Strong puts in yet another convincing villain role; it is a shame though that such a talented actor has been so severely stereotyped in recent years.

The script is wonderfully creative, which is unusually brave for such a blockbuster; the story flies at such a pace, it’s difficult to second guess where it’s going to go next.

Surprisingly, it’s only let down my some poor special effects. The final dramatic scenes on the half-built London Bridge, for example, just reek of low quality green screen production values; it’s like they were put together with the processing power of a ZX81. It’s understandable to a certain extent, as Ritchie’s portfolio hasn’t really relied on special effects to date (getting Madonna to act doesn’t quite count). Still, the inevitable sequel, welcome as it will be, will need to improve visually.

Although Ritchie’s version of Holmes is by no means by the book, in these sad times of regurgitated remakes, his unique take on one of the world’s most famous detectives can only be commended.