Cheap Sherlock Holmes & the Secret Weapon (Video) (Roy William Neill) Price

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Customer Reviews of Sherlock Holmes & the Secret Weapon

FUN!
The Secret Weapon is one my all time favorite Rathbone and Bruce films. It's wonderful to have it on DVD! The Universal Holmes series continues to be a great source of fun and I've always enjoyed seeing Holmes and Watson transplanted into the 1940's and dealing with W.W.II intrigue and Nazi spies. The Secret Weapon adds the nefarious Moriarty to the mix! I won't argue that the Universal Holmes movies had the most logical elements, but they always highly entertained me. The Secret Weapon is no exception. I found this one to be a blast. Great stuff!

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News Flash! Colorized print is from 20th Century Fox!
Most of the reviews shown underneath this colorized-b/w combo disc of "Secret Weapon" seem to be discussing discs issued by other companies. I am (normally) a total believer that discs from "no name" issuers are to be avoided like the plague, as the print quality will almost always be inferior; one of the best lessons I ever learned about buying DVD's was that if it isn't issued by a major studio (Paramont, Fox, Universal, etc.), and that if that info isn't clearly listed on the outer packaging, then it isn't worth buying. Over the years, I've learned that there are a few exceptions; Artisan normally puts out nice prints, and one of the old "villians" of VHS, GoodTimes, seems to have changed it's spots and has issued some very nice prints (some of the "Airport" films); but in general, the "major studio or don't buy it" rule still applies. <
>This issue was inexpensive, so I decided to take a chance. I can't recall the name of the issuer that's shown on the outside of the case, but once it starts to play, the 20th Century Fox logo makes it very clear that this is at least a co-effort, and why they don't show Fox's name on the cover is beyond me. The picture quality/sound is really very good (as I say, many or all of the reviews shown under this particular issuance were apparently written for other companies' editions of this same title)...so, bottom line is: the colorzied option is fun, not garish or saturated, and the print is very clear. Also offers the film in b/w for you purists, and that's just another reason to get these versions.

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Reread "His Last Bow"--Homes went up against the Kasier!
First of all, this is not quite a Sherlock Holmes film. It has Holmes, but no deerstalker cap. no calabash pipe, and no magnifying glass. It does have Holmes keep observations, and it is loosely based (14% of the film at least) is based on the canonical story "The Dancing Men." Furthermore, it is not set in Victorian England, but during the Blitz of WWII. If you can get past all of this, it is quite an enjoyable film. <
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>It is essentially a B spy film. Since it does not focus on Bond's gadgets, or any heroes super alien powers, you actually get a story that has a Bourn Identity fell to it. This is what saves the film--you see normal people with keen minds solving a riddle and trying to get the targeting equipment. <
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>As a Sherlock film, it falls flat on it's face. It is a vague, pale ditto-copy of "The Dancing Men," and is barley a Holmes film As a spy film, it is fairly good, and is a good family film. The only objectionable material is there is a torture scene, which, by 1940's standard, is a bit graphic--about 10 years old and over. However, Kids see this type of thing all the time while playing HALO. <
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>Most other reviews have blasted this film, primarily for the continuity jump from 1890's to 1940's. I would remind these people that Holmes is a timeless charter, as the Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century cartoon shows. <
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>Moreover, the Nazi blitz was a real thing. Think of the scene where Holmes and Dr. Tobel were walking to 221-B Baker street, and cross over the rubble and bombed-out buildings. The Brits needed this film for the moral. That is why they had that corny speech at the end of the film. This was not a bleached-teethed marketing monkey or airhead exec, but a soul-surge of a people on the brink of a very real and present disaster. <
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>For the die-hard Sherlockinas, I would also ask them to reread "His Last Bow": He was at odds with the Kaiser. Having him fight Hitler is by no means a stretch of the imagination. <
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>This is a good Saturday afternoon or rainy day film.