SHERLOCK: THE BLIND BANKER

The second movie in the new Sherlock series was rollicking good fun.  The Blind Banker is a twisted little mystery with lots of players and lots of history.  Great fun to keep up with, and things keep changing at a rapid pace.

We get to see a little more of Sherlock’s history in this one.  I loved the exchange he had with the banker/old friend that hires him to investigate some vandalism in the bank that wasn’t theft related.  The spray-painted clues were timely and well presented.  The title is somewhat misleading, though, because it only comes from a picture that holds part of the message.  The picture has a man whose eyes have been painted over.  Still, the title is definitely intriguing.

The mystery is well put together and unfolds on several levels at once.  All the pieces interlock and it all makes sense.  My wife and I were able to stay ahead of some of the curves, but it was only just a step or two.  There was no telegraphing in this story.

The Chinese element of the story was well done.  I liked the bits and pieces of history that are woven into the story, and the acrobats were interesting and whetted the appetite for more.

John Watson also gets a girlfriend in this story, and that plays into the Sherlock Holmes canon because Watson was supposed to be a ladies’ man.  However, Sarah (Zoe Telford) gets a first date that’s way more exciting and dangerous than she’d ever imagined.  She’s still around in the third movie, so it will be interesting if she becomes a part of the series.  She’d be a breath of fresh air when in the company of Mrs. Hudson and Sgt. Sally Donovan, the first who seems somewhat dotty and the second who seems overly abrasive and dense.

I did feel somewhat miffed because the ball was dropped regarding Watson’s apprehension for graffiti.   There was considerable mention of him having to go to court, but we never get to see the resolution of that.

The multiple mysteries – what was going on and why the people were killed as well as where the missing item was – are fun and a mystery enthusiast can put it all together just before Sherlock reveals everything.  Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Watson) continue to amaze in their respective roles.