Wonderful character development!

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

One of four Sherlock Holmes TV movies made in Canada at the turn of the century and starring Matt Frewer as the eponymous detective. I hate to say it but having also seen CASE OF THE WHITECHAPEL VAMPIRE, I think these were four films too many.THE ROYAL SCANDAL is an appalling Holmes adaptation, one seemingly aimed at children. That's the only way I can explain the horrendous, pantomime style acting and the join-the-dots style of storytelling. Irene Adler's in this one, but she's unrecognisable from the story, and the plot seems to mix in a few different Holmes tales along the way.The production values are just about acceptable, I suppose, but the plotting is straight out of some TV movie of the week and the characters unrecognisable from the Conan Doyle creations. Frewer's fey, foppish Holmes in particular seems to be like Mr Wickham out of PRIDE & PREJUDICE and has to be the worst on-screen Holmes ever. As such, I advise you to avoid this film like the plague.

It is not awful - just not for the purist.I suspect that Johnny Lee Miller adapted his Sherlock after watching this film.Watson is excellent as are the villains.I have a complete collection of the original Strand magazines and am well aware of how many versions of Holmes do vary as do many of the plot lines. However, I feel that a little artistic licence can be allowed otherwise it would be like watching the Shakespearian society reciting Othello as against watching Orson Well's superb adaption.One thing was missing though - Holmes' cocaine addiction, remembering that these drugs could be freely purchased in that era.Overall worth a watch.

Now, I just watched this movie and while it is still one of the better SH movies I have watched, I still give it only 9 out of 10 because (SPOILERS! SPOILERS!) firstly Mycroft Holmes was so terribly slim and good-looking (in contrary to the canon) and secondly Cadogan West was actually the criminal and thirdly they even dared to combine the SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA and BRUCE-PARTINGTON!! OK OK, I won't be too harsh. It's a great movie and showed SH with a genuinely human side. Without so much as saying it he actually fell in love with Irene Adler who was a criminal (which is also not according to the canon, I might add), but who would Sherlock Holmes be more likely to fall in love with anyway? Watson was very cool IMHO. He was miles and miles and miles away from Bruce's Watson and that's saying a lot (I never liked Bruce as Watson but Rathbone is the KING)! One of the smaller things that struck me was the incredibly fake looking "Baker Street" sign towards the end of the film.All in all it's a very cool SH movie (apart from Mycroft!). I simply loved Matt Frewer this time.

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 the 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.