Sherlock vs Holmes

It's a war between Hollywood and British filmmaking, both of them rebooting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes around the same time. Hollywood's got Guy Ritchie, BBC's got Steven Moffatt and Mark Gatiss. Sherlock has its characters call each other on first name basis while Sherlock Holmes films has its main characters call each other Holmes and Watson. It's time for a face off between them!

1. SHERLOCK HOLMES

British Benedict Cumberbatch was only a supporting actor before he landed the role as Sherlock. He has proven that his version of Sherlock Holmes is modern and is a high functioning sociopath (I did my research). See Series 2 to see his great acting as the super-sleuth yet vulnerable modern day Sherlock. In the Hollywood version, American Robert Downey Jr. aka the Iron Man played the detective in a different interpretation from the novels. Here, Sherlock is like Captain Jack Sparrow of the Victorian London. But still both Cumberbatch and Downey Jr. possess Sherlock's ability of masterful  deduction. And of course, both of them have their own charms. Robert Downey Jr. wins by a really really really small margin. Let's wait for Series 3 and the third film to further judge this matter. 1-0 for the films.

2. DR. JOHN WATSON

Jude Law's Watson may be the best Watson in the cinema. But Martin Freeman's Watson is also the best portrayal of Watson who had doubts and admiration towards Sherlock Holmes. Freeman's Watson is funnier and more mysterious than Jude Law's making Freeman's Watson is more interesting to follow and to gaze upon. Martin Freeman wins over Jude Law. One all.

3. IRENE ADLER

Now this is where it gets tricky. Irene Adler in the films and in the series are very different, it's like north pole and the Sahara. Rachel McAdams' Adler is slimy, lovely and also mysterious. But all in all, she's a total heroine. And boy I love McAdams as Adler. But TV's Irene Adler played by Lara Pulver is incredibly different. Here, Irene Adler is a dominatrix. While both of them are portrayed to have outsmarted Sherlock Holmes, Lara Pulver's Irene Adler did it in a more memorable and sexier fashion (See A Scandal in Belgravia). It's definitely the new sexy. Lara Pulver wins. 2-1 for BBC. 

4. JAMES MORIARTY

Moriarty is, as we all know about it, Sherlock Holmes' arch-nemesis. Jared Harris' Moriarty is menacing yet smart and a total schemer. While Andrew Scott from the TV series is an absolute lunatic. Although film version Moriarty is a great villain, he lacks screen time. He's a big picture criminal so we don't get the best scene out of him and Sherlock until the very end of the film. However, Andrew Scott's Moriarty is incredible. He outsmarted Sherlock and broke Sherlock. 3-1 for BBC

5. SUPPORTING ACTORS

Lestrade in the series is more powerful and useful rather than useless and dumb-looking in the films.

Mrs. Hudson is more lovely in the series than the stern portrayal in the films.

Mycroft Holmes played by Stephen Fry in the second film was hilarious but an enigmatic brother to equalize Sherlock is much more needed than a funny one.

4-1 for BBC.

P.S.

Hollywood's version must've bigger budgets and crew. Guy Ritchie put on some fancy camerawork, which is a plus point and a killer soundtrack theme by Hans Zimmer. But in terms of music, David Arnold has proven that he's still worthwhile although not scoring the current James Bond film. 

It is the safest to say that both version has its golds and ashes. But it's hard not to compare both of them.

Elementary, Watson. Elementary.

See Sherlock Series 2 for the best TV episodes ever (especially The Reichenbach Fall).

See Sherlock Holmes (2009) for currently the best big-screen adaptation of the detective.