Murder by Decree
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Movie Reviews of Murder by Decree
Movie Review: EXCELLENT HOLMES VERSUS THE RIPPER
Summary: 4 Stars
Arthur Conan Doyle, MD, had a lot of spare time on his hands between patients. To fill the empty hours, he created Sherlock Holmes. He based Holmes on medical professor Dr. Joseph Bell, known for his awesome powers of deductive reasoning. Sherlock Holmes is the most famous of all Victorian literary creations. Mail still arrives 221B Baker Street seeking his help. In MURDER BY DECREE Holmes (Christopher Plummer) and Watson (James Mason) are up against Jack the Ripper. Not based on a Doyle story, this surprising tale is from an intelligent screenplay by John Hopkins (Thunderball). The all star cast includes Donald Sutherland, David Hemmings, Sir John Guilguld and Genvieve Bujold. Directed by Bob Clark before he got sidetracked with Porky's.
This is a highly entertaining film and the DVD transfer looks great. It would be interesting to see Holmes up against the convincing revelation of the Ripper character that is suggested by Patricia Cornwell's true crime book (I don't want to give anything away here).
Movie Review: A Delightful Pair
Summary: 4 Stars
By "Pair," I mean Plummer and Mason, quite different from Rathbone and Bruce. Watching Watson fussing with the last pea on his plate, getting uncomfortable when a lady in the pub puts her hand on his thigh, and wondering what took Holmes so long to get him out of jail led much-needed humor to this dark movie. I liked the close-up of the Ripper's eyes near the beginning, and the tender way Mrs. Lee placed her hands on her husband's shoulders. It was fun watching Hemmings in a different role from when he was Modred, Richard Harris' King Arthur's son in Camelot, and Bujold playing so different a character from the one she played with Robert Shaw in Swashbuckler. I gave the movie 4 stars because Plummer came across as a little too emotional at times, but listening to the haunting melody he plays at the end, both sad and hopeful, is a treat to my ears.
Movie Review: Murder By Decree
Summary: 4 Stars
I saw this movie when it was first released, and loved it. Being a Sherlock Holmes fan it is one of the best of the genre. Christopher Plummer's portral of Holmes is, dare I say it, the best Holmes since Basil Rathbone. The story weaves a gripping tale worthy of Sir Aurthur's pen, though this tale was not one of his stories. If you like the genre, you will not be disappointed.Unfortunately, my VHS copy of this movie is not captioned, which for me renders it useless, as I recently lost my hearing.
I'd like to purchase this DVD, but don't know if it is captioned. Can anyone who has this DVD let me know if it is captioned for hearing impaired.
Movie Review: Murder most splendid
Summary: 4 Stars
Perhaps a bit dated by today's special effects standards, but this 1979 film is a wonderfully scripted Jack the Ripper tale with all sorts of clever twists and turns. Good acting by all with Christopher Plummer taking the spotlight as Sherlock Holmes on the trail of the madman at the behest of a group of Whitechapel business owners. More of a "why" than "who is Jack" type movie, it cleverly lays out a theory that is now widely embraced by folks who have studied the crimes. Great cinematography, convincing performances and a credible end. Four stars all around.Movie Review: "Forget it, Sherlock. It's Whitechapel"
Summary: 4 Stars
This was the first Jack the Ripper movie to get the details of the crimes correct. A great cast, but given the sophisticated script this could have been even better, instead it looks more like a TV movie than a Victorian "Chinatown." Still, Mason's bufoonish Watson is one of the funniest and Bujuld's scene still packs a wallop as does Plummer's summing up at the end. (As was noted on the commentary track for "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes", it's an amusing gaffe that Holmes wears his deerstalker everywhere -- including the opera!)