Very disappointing...

Sick Product of a Sick System

Overrated and overhyped

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Or smiled despite the most farcical and awkward situations in which he became envolved. Buster Keaton was like that but no less expressive. A great director and comic actor. Don't forget that on silent movies the words were replaced by physical gestures and attitudes in terms of expression. And then there were no special effects or computer work which means that all accrobatic and physical violent prowesses and deeds were done by the actors themselves or by double stunts. This movie tells the story of a poor film projectionist at a movie theater who dreams to become a private detective and studies lessons for that on a book. Meanwhile his rival to his girlfriend frames him into the theft of her father's watch which gets him into serious trouble. In the meantime he fells asleeep during a movie projection and dreams that he is Sherlock Jr, a famous detective, mixing up the story of the projected movie and its characters with the real story in which he and his rival are envolved. The story develops itself in a series of hilarious and exciting gags that make you laugh almost all the time.

I thought for a silent film it was still very relevant and fun. It was surprisingly fast paced and had a lot of cool action way before you think of the more modern action films, Yet the whole dream sequence was very thought provoking and almost like Keaton created a vivid world with its own laws and internally consistent logic. There was the usage of basic camera techniques and manipulating the angles, which for its time way in the early 1920s it worked! When he went through his assistants stomach I actually had to look twice highly impressive. I can appreciate it would recommend if you had to see a silent film

There is a spoiler in this review! I was very impressed to see all the special effects in this movie since it came out in 1924. For example, him coming out of his body in the dream, running on top of the train, and the camera following him so fast on the bike. I am very curious as to how they pulled that off! I thought the music was fitting and the story line definitely kept me watching, it was funny and interesting how most of the movie was a dream anyways and it wasn't even him who solved the mystery in real life.

"Sherlock Jr." is one of many masterpieces made by Buster Keaton and he established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Art of Silent Comedy. Dare I say this but the best of Keaton narrowly surpassed the best of Chaplin. The story of "Sherlock Jr." concerns Buster who works as a projectionist at a small town cinema. He has dreams of becoming a detective and avidly reads up on the subject. Whilst projecting a film, Buster falls asleep and "Sherlock Jr." enters fantasy via a dream scene.There is some excellent camera trickery but I don't recall the exact details of how it was done. In this fantasy sequence, Buster proceeds to the big screen in the cinema and appears to enter the screen itself. It is a dazzling and original piece of filmmaking and I doubt if Keaton's rivals could have created this. Eventually and after he's awake, Buster has a chance to prove he can be a fully fledged detective. His attempts at tailing a suspect are absolutely uproarious. There is a chase scene involving Buster sat on the handlebars of a policeman's motorbike. The film isn't a long one, 45 minutes but it is an undisputed classic.