Rating: 
Summary: Great transfer for good film
Review: Most people either love or hate the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes adventures. Critics always point out that the films bear little resemblance to Doyle's original stories, and this is true of the 12 "modernized" movies that Universal made between 1942-46. But the two 20th Century Fox movies (this one and Hound of the Baskervilles) are different. They were quality productions set during the Victorian era and, even when they altered characters or plots, remained true to the flavor of Doyle's creations. Best of all, Bruce's Watson was not the buffoon that he later became in the Universal pictures.In my opinion, however, most objections are now irrelevant, thanks to the excellent and faithful adaptations that Britain's Granada television made with Jeremy Brett as Holmes. We can finally approach the Rathbone-Bruce films as typical Hollywood literary adaptations of their era, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is grand entertainment. The atmospheric photography, the eye for period detail, and the charming performances are things that film lovers should not deprive themselves of simply because of the film's lack of faithfulness to Doyle's stories. (Critics should keep in mind that Doyle licensed out his characters to other writers -- and even incorporated their inventions into his own stories!) I won't give away the plot, but suffice it to say that Adventures is one of the best of the Rathbone-Bruce series. (I also like Fox's Hound and Universal's Scarlet Claw.) MPI has really surprised me with the quality of this transfer. Up until now, they've specialized in documentaries and TV shows, so their work here is very promising. (They own distribution rights to Beckett, and I'd love to see them transfer that to DVD.) The UCLA restoration is great, though please note that a 65-year-old film that's been in the public domain for years is going to show signs of age. The transfer is uniformly good, with the foggy streets of London coming alive. I haven't experienced the pausing problem that other reviewers mentioned. The extras are very good, the main one being Valley's commentary. He sounds a little stiff at times, but his information is interesting and he genuinely seems to love the film. It's well worth checking out. The picture gallery is less spectacular, since it's filmed and doesn't allow you to browse at will. The re-release trailers for some of the later Universal movies are fun; it's just a shame that they couldn't include the original trailer for Adventures. Maybe it doesn't exist any more.... Verdict: Highly recommended as an introduction to the Rathbone-Bruce series, especially if you can grab this one on sale.
Rating:
Summary: It's a pity they didn't keep making them like this
Review: Most say that the Rathbone/Bruce "Hound of the Baskervilles" is their best effort, but I beg to differ. This movie is, in my opinion, much better. There is just the right amount of intrigue and adventure. On another level, it's a pity that this is the last high-quality Holmes film Rathbone and Bruce made. The others were all grade B. One wonders why they didn't utilize the writers of their radio show in order to come up with better movie scripts after the film series switched hands from 20th Century Fox to Universal. It was partly because of this that they "updated" Holmes and Watson's adventures, making them take place in the 1940s. These were also the people who contributed to making Bruce's Watson such an idiot (even though he does have some terribly funny moments). This started the public viewing of Watson as an empty-headed bungler, which was NOT the Watson of Doyle's invention. Although this film is of higher quality, it still does have its share of flaws, though they're sparse. There is a rather large one that involves the cryptic drawing that Moriarty sends to Holmes via Ann Brandon. The drawing is so obvious that Holmes should have been able to deduce something instantly from it; but he is baffled enough by it that he has to go do some research at the British Museum. Another, rather irritating, flaw was that (and this is prevalent in the radio shows too) the script seems to make Holmes into a superhero at times. For instance, how would he have really known young Billy swept the dust under the rug on the landing outside the door of 221B? The door was closed and he was playing around with his violin at the time. He must have had x-ray vision for a few seconds. The rest of the film is generally good, except for a few melodramatic performances. Overall, the movie makes for fine, entertaining viewing; but generally I recommend seeking out the old radio show broadcasts.
Rating:
Summary: Basil Rathbone returns as the Great Detective
Review: Released in September 1939, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" is 20th Century Fox's near perfect follow-up to "The Hound of the Baskervilles" from the same triumphant year. Though the credits acknowledge William Gillette's famous play as the source, the story pitting Holmes and Dr. Watson against arch-fiend Professor Moriarty is wholly original. What makes the film so memorable, aside from its successful recreation of the gaslight ambiance of London's Victorian Era, is the perfection of Basil Rathbone in his second go-round as the Great Detective. Rathbone even performs a song and dance (in disguise) in this adventure, and gets to keep company (platonically, of course) with the beautiful Ida Lupino. Mary Gordon is on hand as Mrs. Hudson, a role she would reprise in all 12 of the Universal films to come, and Nigel Bruce, though not true to Conan Doyle's vision, is a delightful Dr. Watson. And few actors were better equipped to play Moriatry than the devilish George Zucco who would match wits with Holmes again (though not as the diabolical professor) in Universal's "Sherlock Holmes in Washington." If "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" is not quite as impressive as the preceding "Hound," it is faster paced and generally more entertaining. A good show all-around. Brian W. Fairbanks
Rating: 
Summary: an enjoyable film
Review: This film was okay. It wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be after reading a lot of positive comments about it, but it was quite okay and I enjoyed it.
Rating:
Summary: Basil Rathbone rules !!
Review: This is the best of the best. If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan and don't own this dvd what are you waiting for !! This movie is still as entertaining as the the first time I saw it. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are the best. George Zucco as Professor Moriarity is a classic villan. " Enjoy ".
Rating:
Summary: A First-Rate Nostalgic Adventure for The Great Detective
Review: This movie is all about atmosphere, with a good adventure and three first-rate performances. Sherlock Holmes faces off against Professor Moriarty in Victorian London. There are cobblestone streets, swirling fog, hanson cabs rushing through the night, strange camera angles, dramatic lighting, struggles in silhouette, a fiendish plot and death. Moriarty (George Zucco) is determined to bring down his mortal enemy, Holmes (Basil Rathbone), and in doing so also pull off the crime of the century. A cats paw in all this is a wealthy young woman played by Ida Lupino.
I'm convinced that Mel Gibson channels Zucco whenever Gibson makes his eyes look crazy; Zucco must have been the master he learned from. Zucco actually underplays a little which makes his Moriarty very effective. Ida Lupino, in my opinion, was a teriffic actress who developed into a strong-willed woman capable of taking on a lot of senior Hollywood suits. She became a good director. She could play innocent (as she does here) or she could play the willful slut (see her in The Light That Failed), but she always had a lot of intelligence lurking behind her eyes. Rathbone, in his second film as Holmes, nails the part. He's smart, a little arrogant, a little sympathetic, and shows some humor. Unfortunately, the studio chose Nigel Bruce to turn John Watson into a buffoon. At one point Watson waddles around crying, "Holmes, Holmes, this is important!" Many people, I know, love the Holmes/Watson series, but for me within a movie or two Rathbone and Bruce had become the vaudeville act of Holmes & Watson. I'll take Christopher Plummer and James Mason as my favorites, with Jeremy Brettt and Edward Hardwicke as very close seconds.
But even with that said, this is quite a nostalgic and effective movie. The DVD restoration is excellent and makes it a pleasure to watch. There's an audio commentary by Richard Valley, evidently a Holmes fan/scholar, that I didn't listen to.
Rating:
Summary: Great transfer for good film
Review: Who wouldn't want to share the adventures of Mr. Sherlock Holmes? To live in fog-bound, gas-lit, Victorian London? To hear footsteps coming up the 17 stairs to knock at the door of the world's greatest consulting detective? To ride in a hansom cab to a mystery? This movie, the first of the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce pairing captures all of that. Escapism at its finest.
Rating:
Summary: Great Film - Awful Subtitles
Review: Whoever wrote the subtitles for the DVD release of these Basil Rathbone - Sherlock Holmes films should be drawn and quartered. At one point in this film, Holmes tells Moriarty that he has great respect for him, "but only as a knave." The subtitle gives the line as "but only as a maid." At one point "Oxford Circus" becomes "Oxford Service" and "gifted cracksman" becomes "gifted cracksman." There are far too many similar blunders. But the films are great, and this one is particularly good.
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