Quite a few diehard Sherlockians are bitching about Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, the new movie starring Robert Downey Jr. as the great detective.
Two years ago, of course, these same folks were grousing about the first movie in this franchise.
They complain that Downey’s too short, too hairy, too rumpled, and (egad!) too American to be Holmes.
They think there are too many explosions and there’s way too much gunplay.
In general, they grumble that this new Sherlock isn’t the sleuth they love from the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
And they’re right.
But that’s been the case with almost every movie or TV version of Holmes.
For example, the fondly remembered Basil Rathbone movies from the 1940s were set in (then) contemporary England during World War II, not in the beloved Victorian era.
More than 75 percent of the actors who’ve played Holmes have been much too old for the character as fashioned by his creator.
And until a few years ago, poor Watson was always portrayed as an inept fool, not the sharp, stalwart companion he really is.
But Sherlock’s survived all these variations, and revisions, and reworkings. Doyle’s original is as popular as ever.
How come?
Well, it’s because in creating the detective, Doyle built an unforgettable, rock-solid, powerful brand.
It’s a brand that’s still so dominant after more than a century that people can monkey with it forever and the “real thing” remains intact and untarnished.
Wouldn’t it be terrific if you and your business were branded as strongly?
It can happen. And you can make it happen pretty damn quickly as we rocket toward the start of a brand new year.
http://tinyurl.com/7afrpe6
Why not give it a try?
