I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Instant Favorite.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Spoilers if you haven't read the novel or seen one of the 20 or so better adaptations of the story. Probably one of the poorer adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's novel, this one has Matt Frewer (a good actor) as Holmes who is absent for most of the movie. While this is close to the original story (which is mostly told from the view of Dr. Watson) Holmes is more absent from this adaptation than he normally is. This one is written in a way where Watson probably would have figured it out for himself given another ten minutes. I can't give this one a good review, and I love a lot of the quirkier Holmes adaptations... even the one where Watson is a Chinese woman for some reason.

I have seen all of the reviews of this program. First let me say that the original story was NOT a single unit, but was rather run in serial form like a study in scarlet and the sign of four. Any attempts to compare a single flowing movie to an original in serial form is like comparing apples to oranges. This film couldn't possibly be made as presented in serial form.Next, the character of Holmes is, in the opinion of this dedicated Sherlockian, spot on. Of course Mr. Frewer portrayed him as a bombastic clown, a bull in a china shop, and somewhat clownish. Go back and read the stories! Holmes comes across in the canon as a bull in a china shop. Of all the classic screen portrayals of Holmes, none really got that aspect of Holmes until Frewer's interpretation. Christopher plummer comes close (murder by decree, in a couple of scenes) and Peter Cushing (the chess game at the beginning of the Hammer "hound") and on occasion, Jeremy Brett.I truly believe that as written, Holmes had a condition that is now known as Asperger's syndrome. (Google this for more information.) I believe this because I have been diagnosed with it. Where Watson sees a bucolic country scene, Holmes sees a perfect opportunity for murder.(Aspergians quite often see the same things as other people, but in a different light...) He focuses to the extreme completely oblivious to to those around him. He bounds over furniture, rudely interrupts people, has very little social skills, but also has one of the keenest minds in literature. (All of these traits are seen in Asperger's people.) No wonder Lestrade hates him! Frewer brings out all of these components of Holmes in high degree here! So for those of you who misunderstand Frewer's character here, Bravo! You are only normal. I hope Mr. Frewer takes your misunderstandings as a compliment. That means he did his job as an actor! Kudos to him for understanding an often overlooked aspect of Holmes' personality! As to content, the original tale in serialized form captialized on suspense, and timing. I am not quite sure this story would truly worked if published as a whole. (I got the most out of it by buying it in strand magazine facsimile, and closing it when seeing the title page of the next installment and then reading again later, and so on...). The events as described by Conan Doyle are all there, and the age of Henry is unknown anyway, so he could reasonably be played by any person of undetermined age. The fellow here does a fine job in my opinion, as does Watson, who seems a bit older than Holmes, but does a masterful job keeping Holmes' impulsiveness in check.

The four Sherlock Holmes movies by Hallmark are just good fun versions for kids. Don't even try to take 'em seriously folks. Don't expect them to be artistic masterpieces based on literary classics. These TV movies were made for a family audience and there's plenty of comedy for kids in these things. Frewer's Holmes must be seen to be believed! He's a hoot! He's the most eccentric Holmes EVER! Kids will love this guy! Kenneth Welsh is much more traditional in his role and he makes a very fine Watson. These Frewer Holmes flicks are sure to entertain kids and will hopefully encourage them to read more about The Master Detective. They certainly wont get bored watching any of these with the ultra-intense and comedic Frewer on the screen.

This is a fairly pleasant television movie, but nothin spectacular either.For those familiar with Sherlock Holmes and this famous story, the ending is known from the beginning. For those who haven't read the book, the plot has some nice twists and changes along the way, before coming to the inevitable ending with Holmes saving the day.If you like low budget murder mystery's give this one a look, but don't expect a gripping version of this story.