The Corner Penthouse

Warner Brothers just released both of the Robert Downey Jr./Jude Law Sherlock Holmes films onto 4K UHD disc. Today, I'll take a look at the Sherlock Holmes (2009) 4K/Blu-ray Combo Pack. Read on to find out more about it...


Sherlock Holmes (2009) is the tale of Arthur Conan Doyle's titular detective (Robert Downey Jr.), who has made his reputation finding the truth at the heart of the most complex mysteries. With the aid of Dr. John Watson (Jude Law), his trusted ally, the renowned "consulting detective" is unequaled in his pursuit of criminals of every stripe, whether relying on his singular powers of observation, his remarkable deductive skills, or the blunt force of his fists. But now a storm is gathering over London, a threat unlike anything that Holmes has ever confronted...and just the challenge he's looking for. After a string of brutal, ritualistic murders, Holmes and Watson arrive just in time to save the latest victim and uncover the killer: the unrepentant Lord Harry Blackwood (Mark Strong). As he approaches his scheduled hanging, Blackwood -- who has terrorized inmates and jailers alike with his seeming connection to dark and powerful forces -- warns Holmes that death has no power over him and, in fact, his execution plays right into Blackwood's plans. And when, by all indications, Blackwood makes good on his promise, his apparent resurrection panics London and confounds Scotland Yard. But to Holmes, the game is afoot. Racing to stop Blackwood's deadly plot, Holmes and Watson plunge into a world of the dark arts and startling new technologies, where logic is sometimes the best crime-fighting weapon...but where a good right hook will often do the job.


Guy Ritchie's reinvention of the Sherlock Holmes character came just a few years before the TV series Elementary (2012-2019), opting to keep the characters in late 19th century England, instead of modern-day New York. Make no mistake about it, though, this is not the Deerstalker cap-wearing Sherlock of past adaptations. Coming off the success and career resurgence of Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Sherlock is more like Tony Stark. The story centers on the occult, in particular Lord Harry Blackwood, who's portrayal by Mark Strong beings to mind Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. Although Irene Adler (played by the adorable Rachael McAdams), a character from the Sherlock Holmes lore, plays a significant part of the plot, Holmes' famous nemesis Moriarty only appears fleetingly. However, that plants the seeds for Moriarty's role in the second film. As for the 4K, I have to admit that although both movies are 10 years old, they both look much sharper in 4K than on the Blu-ray. I think that it's a worthwhile upgrade.


Sherlock Holmes is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio with a runtime of 2:08:30. Audio languages include English, French, German, Spanish, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, and Thai. The film includes English SDH, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Hungarian, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, and Thai subtitles. The first print run includes a slipsleeve.


Here's a list of all of the bonus features that can be found on the included Blu-ray disc. The UHD disc only contains the movie. Do note that Maximum Movie Mode is not mentioned on the back of the case.

• Maximum Movie Mode - Director Guy Ritchie appears between two oversized monitors in this Picture-in-Picture feature, which presents the film along with concept art, behind-the-scenes footage, and other bonus content.
• Focus Points (31:17) - This collection of eight featurettes is derived from the Maximum Movie Mode feature: "Drawbridges and Dollies", "Not a Deerstalker Cap in Sight", "Ba-Ritsu", "Elementary English", "The One That Got Away", "Powers of Observation & Deduction", "The Sherlockians", and "Future Past".
• Sherlock Holmes: Reinvented (14:06) - In this EPK-style featurette, the filmmakers and cast talk about the story and its respect of its source material.

Also included in the 4K UHD + Blu-ray Combo Pack is a second standard Blu-ray disc (originally released back in 2010), which contains the movie and all of the bonus features listed above. Audio languages include English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The film includes English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles.


A digital copy code voucher is also included in the standard two-disc black UHD Blu-ray case.


Sherlock Holmes is available on 4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo Pack. The sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), is also available on 4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo Pack.


All images were taken from the IMDB gallery of the film. The item was provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.