Film Reviews by John's List

Murder by Decree is not just another Sherlock Holmes film it is for me possible one of the best Holmes films there is, now there have been several such telling's of this tale and although good they are missing something which this film has in abundance, and that is a story to tell.

This film takes the story of a Princes indiscretion and wraps it up into the lore of jack the Ripper and Government cover up in such a way that it is hard not to think of them both being one.

Christopher Plummer plays a impassioned Holmes which is beautifully counter-balanced by James Mason as Dr. Watson, for me this teaming of Plummer and Mason makes for the best Holmes and Watson you will see.

The supporting cast is also well placed with the likes of David Hemmings, Anthony Quayle,Donald Sutherland,Geneviève Bujold and Frank Finlay and Sir John Gielgud as the Prime Minister.

For me to go into any depth on this movie would dilute you'r future enjoyment of this film.

This is one of those gems that seems to be forgotten today where films rely on special effect and gore to tell a tall, this film rely's on a good script and some very fine acting for that, and that alone should be enough for it to be watch time and time again.

I ordered this film because I am a Toshirô Mifune fan and this is a film of his I had not seen, in fact I still have not seen it.

The quality of this film is so bad that the trailer here on this site is the best it is going to be, in fact it is such low quality it could pass for a bad pirated film.

The picture is so small on your screen that you need to be sitting right on top of your television to watch it and the audio sounds like two can's on a piece of string.