Rating: 
Summary: Possibly the best Holmes movie ever made
Review: The New York Daily Post referred to this movie as the "greatest Sherlock Holmes movie ever made" and who am I to disagree with their esteemed reviewer. Well, I write reviews for a large metropolitcan newspaper also, but I have to say I can find no qualms with their opinion.
I grew up watching the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies on quiet Saturday mornings on BBC2 in my native Scotland, so I am probably always going to enjoy sitting down to a couple of hours with my longtime detective friend and his faithful sidekick Dr. Watson. Although for me Rathbone will always be the definitive Sherlock Holmes (never really cared for Jeremy Brett)I have to admit to finding Christopher Plummer as an entertaining, if somewhat unusual, Holmes in this late 1970s movie.
Based not on one of the Conan Doyle books but on a notion that the Baker Street detective investigated the Jack the Ripper murders (much like in the lesser production "Study in Terror" a decade earlier) this sceenplay moves along at a fair speed and examines the actual evidence collected at the time to weave together a theory not unlike that of the more recent Johnny Depp movie "From Hell."
What really makes this movie stand out is the quite incredible cast that Clark (yes, incredibly the same guy behind "Porky's") put together in this Canadian production. Alongside Plummer is none other than James Mason as Watson. We also have Anthony Quayle, John Gielgud, Donald Sutherland, Susan Clark, Frank Finley and Genevieve Bujold. Put these actors in a handsomly presented production design (quite incredible actually) and combine it with the intriguing and fast paced script and you have what (I would have to concur with the Post is the best Holmes movie ever put to film.
Rating: 
Summary: Frustrating film: Len Herberman's production:-poor.
Review: This is a cult classic,however,it is such a frustrating picture. Though James Mason is brilliant,the other actors don't quite match his legendary performance. Donald Sutherland just acts as if he is sleeping! The chief problems are a soundtrack that is very poorly recorded,and camera work that is much too dark,giving the print and picture a less than adequate reputation. Bob Clark's direction is ok,nothing special;he is hardly the best director for this type of picture,since he is responsible for the stiff:"Porkys"!!! The real person responsible for the poor production values of this 5th rate Sherlock Holmes Canadian piece of shoe leather: Len Herberman!! I know Len Herberman,he and Robert Lantos make me think of insects!!! Actually,Garth Dracula Drabinsky reminds me of an insect too. Now if Len Herberman,Harold Lipton,Garth Drabinsky,Sally Libman,Robert Lantos were to be put in prison next to Saddam Hussein,or Arafat,then the film industry would be much better off!!! Oh,Len Herberman:if you read this:UP YOURS!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Better than "From Hell" : Read below
Review: This is a great film, good plot, beautifuly filmed, and an intriguing idea.
The film was remade (though without reference) as the Jonny Depp vehicle "From Hell", the ending is happier in the Depp film, but overll this film is much better, and the accents don't jar.
Rating:
Summary: Near Perfect
Review: This is the first film I have been tempted to give 5 stars to. I just don't know about 5 star ratings. People seem to give them out so readily, and I am not so inclined to see perfection in everything that I like. This one, though, is a close bet. After some serious consideration and re-viewing of classic Holmes films, I really believe this to be the absolute best film, of both the Sherlock Holmes character and of the Jack the Ripper story.I don't need to add to the chorus of people giving synopses of the movie, but I feel compelled to share my glee that this has finally received the class A DVD treatment. I first saw this when it was released theatrically, and managed to catch it a few times over the years on HBO or some other movie channel. I have so many good memories associated with this film. The cast is fantastic (special nod to James Mason and Genevieve Bujold), the ambience and look of the film is exemplary and really takes you to the foggy dank East End of Victorian England. It is spooky, funny, thrilling and pastoral all at once. I implore you, if you have any interest in this time period, Ripperology or Holmes, do not wait any longer to get your hands on this. Things of this quality have a tendency to be underappreciated and go out of print, as this was for so many years.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST-see Sherlock Holmes thriller!!!
Review: While other actors have turned more definitive performances of the great Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend, Dr. John Watson, perhaps no one has captured the Holmes/Watson dynamic better than Christopher Plummer and James Mason in the classic thriller, MURDER BY DECREE. This flick has the Great Detective facing off against Victorian England's most vile creature, the killer known only as Jack the Ripper. However, in the course of his investigation, Holmes finds a trail that could lead to the Royal Family itself. Full of twists and turns, this film sails smoothly under the sure direction of Bob Clarke, who provides an insightful commentary on the DVD.
While Plummer isn't as quirky as other actors who've played the role, he invests Holmes with a wry sense of humor that makes the character easy to relate to, while still being a formidable presence. Mason's Dr. Watson has his share of humorous moments, but he never plays him as a buffoon. Even in his more amusing moments, he retains his stalwart British dignity. It is a special treat when both actors share the screen together and there is when this film especially shines. You can believe that these characters are long-time friends given the wonderful give-and-take moments throughout the film. The scene where Watson vainly tries to stab the last pea on his dinner plate, and Holmes' reaction is a classic!!!! But they don't carry the film alone. The entire supporting cast is excellent. Donald Sutherland is effective as the medium who provides a vital clue, while Frank Finley makes a wonderfully droll Inspector Lestrade. Anthony Quayle is solid as the nasty Sir Andrew Warren of Scotland Yard and Sir John Guilgud is British dignity personified as the Prime Minister. Susan Clark is heart-wrenching as the ill-fated prostitute, Mary Kelly.
Needless to say, this film is a must for Sherlock Holmes fans and for anyone who enjoys a ripping (pardon the pun) good thriller. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The definitive Jack the Ripper Movie
Review: Whilst the more recent Hughes Brothers film `From Hell' (based on Alan Moore's graphic novel) has covered the same ground with the real-life Inspector Abberline taking centre stage, ironically it is this earlier version featuring the fictional Sherlock Holmes that is the real deal. Irrespective of whether you believe this to be the `solution' to the Ripper mystery (based on Stephen Knights' book `The Final Solution'), this film is the best version of the Ripper story to date in covering most of the established facts as well as setting the story in the context of the concern in Victorian England at the time with the rise of the Radicals. This is down to the intelligent screenplay by John Hopkins (whose script for Sidney Lumet's `The Offence' was one of Sean Connery's best films) who cleverly makes sure that every scene conveys at least one piece of information to help set the story in its proper context. If that isn't enough, this film also possesses a wonderful eerie atmosphere by the bucketloads thanks to Harry Pottle's sets, Judy Moorcroft's costumes, Carl Zittrer and Paul Zaza's music and Reg Morris' photography (especially the distorted wide angle shots portraying the first person view of the Ripper). Of course anyone who has seen Bob Clark's earlier `Black Christmas' will recognise the same directorial flourishes which Clark uses here. It is hard to believe that Clark's later career was marked by such films as `Porky's' and its ilk as he shows such a great touch here that he should have continued to make films like this rather than the teen comedies which he is best known for. The sense of unease which the music and the camerawork in particular bring to this film is seldom seen elsewhere (the aforementioned `Black Christmas' and Bernard Rose's `Candyman' are the only examples that come to mind that I am aware of) which make for genuinely uncomfortable viewing. If it wasn't for Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke's great television portrayal of Holmes and Watson, I would argue that Christopher Plummer and James Mason also manage to create the definitive portrayal of the great detective and his trusty assistant. Certainly theirs is the best film portrayal (although I retain a great fondness for Robert Stephens and Colin Blakely in Billy Wilder's `The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' which is a slightly more comic tale). Mason in particular avoids the trap of making Watson the cretinous sidekick which certain other versions have essayed (particular the Basil Rathbone versions which I can't believe are regarded as definitive by so many people). The warm friendship between the two is a particular highlight of this version. Praise be to Anchor Bay who have released the DVD of this great film with a 124 minute version which seems to feature extended scenes which I have not seen previously. This is a truly great film which I doubt will ever be surpassed in its portrayal of the Jack the Ripper murders or as a Sherlock Holmes mystery.
Rating:
Summary: The best SH movie ever made I think
Review: Wiht just a couple of quibbles over casting,I think this was the best SH movie since the Rathbone/Bruce era. Taut,atmospheric,it builds up to the final showdown without descending into any lunatic fringe conspiracy nonsense. The final facedown between SH and the powers-that-be is worth the price of the whole movie.But Christopher Plummer is too emotional in his portrayal of Holmes(crying??), and James Mason is too old to be Watson. Best casting:John Gielgud is the spitting image of Salisbury, the PM, and who else could be Lestrade but Frank Finlay(remember him from A Study in Terror?)
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