When I heard “Sherlock Holmes” was returning to the silver screen, I was sort of excited. Holmes has always been an interesting character, but lacking the action and sex appeal I craved, which made me a greater fan of James Bond. When I heard Robert Downey Jr. was to be Holmes, I was ecstatic. Downey is, without a doubt, one of my favorite actors, and I couldn’t wait to see how he would pull off the character.

I waited anxiously for the first trailer to appear and was not disappointed. To be honest, I was solidly impressed. You see, I had no idea until the first trailer that Guy Ritchie was directing. Had I known this, I might not have been as excited. Ritchie’s filmmaking took a turn for the worse when he got involved with Madonna, but luckily, her strangely vampiric aura seemed to have stopped sucking the creative life from Ritchie’s moviemaking talent just in time.

Now, there has been a great deal of hubbub over the newly spry portrayal of Mr. Holmes, and I can see where the worry comes from. Holmes is a man with drug addiction and a mind that comes along but once in a century. His powers of intuition and evaluation are the stuff of legend, while his frail body was the counterpart to his astounding mind.

To all of this, I say bollocks.

It’s only logical that Holmes would see fit to hone not only his mind, but his body as well. In fact, I’d find it unbelievable if he wasn’t a wiry, nearly sinewy person thanks to his lifestyle of hunting clues and interacting with nefarious foes. I’m not saying he should be built like an Atlas, but being toned and imbued with quick reflexes and wit makes more sense. As to his drug addictions, they are there, but only slightly implied. Thankfully, if you want to find someone who can play a functioning addict who needs nudging away from his habits, again, Robert Downey Jr. is the perfect man for the job.

Another complaint I’ve heard is that Holmes was originally essentially asexual. I can see why you would expect him not to find pursuit of the fairer sex worthwhile, but I don’t care. I like a more virile Holmes — this new sexuality has allowed him to overtake my old idol, the aforementioned James Bond. By making Holmes somewhat desire intimate interactions, it makes him more fallible. Holmes can make mistakes, although very few and only those of the subject he cannot entirely wrap his brain around: The mysterious world of women’s whims.

Now, this isn’t to say I exactly liked the way filmmakers went about portraying his love life. Rachel McAdams is absolutely gorgeous and plays an interesting ultra-thief who can temporarily befuddle Holmes by use of her sexuality, but she’s overdone. Her character seems to have been given extra screen time just to create a strong supporting female character who could potentially get a spin-off movie of her own.

Another worry expressed in the early days of Internet Holmes chat boards was that of a skinny Watson.

Jude Law is an excellent actor, and although I would have enjoyed seeing him pack on a few pounds, the change of his character into a more soldierly doctor doesn’t bother me. If you’re re-vamping a long-dead franchise, some things are bound to change, and altering the obesity of a character whose weight was not his defining characteristic is hardly even a drop in the bucket. Also, this story takes place at a time in the characters’ lives where it is feasible for Watson to add extra weight. And yes, I kind of want this to happen just so I can see a chubby Jude Law.

The adventure is fairly straightforward and allows you to figure out the mysteries right along with Homes if you’re so inclined. A few of the puzzles are a bit too obvious, but for the most part you won’t be disappointed as you unravel the intrigue behind each of the strange circumstances and ponder the reasons for the characters’ actions. There’s really only one mystery you might not quickly solve while watching, and that’s because it is so obvious that it tricks you into a spiral of questions. Well, at least that’s what it did to me. Then, when it was revealed, I felt as though I’d been trying to find a snake coiled directly in front of me.

From start to finish, “Sherlock Holmes” is an excellent movie, and it would experience even greater success if people weren’t still wrapped up in the amazing effects extravaganza that “Avatar” offers. If you want a great story that is easily jump-starting a franchise, go see “Sherlock Holmes.” This movie isn’t a timeless classic, but it’s a lot better than most of the drivel put out in 2009 and a fine way to finish up the year.

– Gabriel Stoffa is a senior in political science and communication studies from Ottumwa, Iowa.