We loved it. Fastest 2.5 hours ever and can't wait for the second part. Yes it is dark, no funny stuff happening but spot on to the books plot and character development. The 12 year old and the 64 year olds had equal reactions to this film; no complaints from any of us except we are sorry to see the franchise coming to an end. At least we can re-read the books and watch the DVDs.
I took a friend and her grandson to see this and we all liked it. Its not a "great film" its a fun movie, humor, action, not too much gore so its family friendly. I think the pro reviewers have forgotten people like to see movies that are fun not just Oscar contenders.
I took my friend and her 11yo grandson as a fun day out. It was exactly that. Mickey Rourke makes a great villain though perhaps a little "too" much on the character considering he is supposed to be a great scientist. It was fast moving, engaging and did not seem drawn out. That being said, it was not quite up to "1" hence 4 stars. Robert Downey Jr. continues to show his range and skill since he cleaned up his act. Scarlett Johanson was a surprise and we liked her performance as an action character. Everyone in the audience was having a good time; after all it is a take off from a comic book. We got exactly what we expected
This was exactly what I expected from the previews. It was pure fun. This isn't Basil Rathbone's Holmes. Downey made the character his own and the interplay between Downey and Jude Law was perfect. We had a great time and if they do a sequel we will see it too. The criticism I've heard from my friends was mostly because they went with their minds already made up about what it "should be"