This was not the standalone episode we were waiting for. Instead it ties into the canon with masterful acting, good character development, very witty dialogue and clever writing (albeit a little too self indulgent at times).
Sitting in the cinemas at a special screening I enjoyed The Abominable Bride thoroughly, it was very funny and enjoyable with a packed cinema full of fans and everybody laughing at all the jokes and references. I have to admit that I came out of the cinemas dazed and amazed...
On the way back I read a Screen Rant article (http://screenrant.com/sherlock-abominable-bride- review/), then I read fan theories and comments elsewhere on the net, and boy was I shocked!
Among fans, so many negative thoughts were floating around this episode, exactly like when Series 3 hit the screen. Thinking about all the quirks in the episode I realized that those complaints were legitimate. I remembered all those times I felt that things weren't quite right (eg. weird spinning transitions...), all those moments when my brain filled with screams of fan-service (eloping...wear the damn hat...having 'urges'...)...but alas, as a fan I thoroughly enjoyed that glorious 115 minutes (screenings got treated to Moffat doing a tour of 221B for the opening and Gatiss finishing it off with interviews with the cast).
Fans will no doubt enjoy the fan-service (Gosh the jokes! Nearly choked to death laughing!), as well as seeing Benedict and Martin as Sherlock and John again, the cinematography held up quite well in a stadium style VMAX (Event cinemas Australia's version of IMAX) cinema (bar a couple of moments where viewers can clearly see the TV-ness of it all).
Without over-analysing, one could easily make an enjoyable watch out of the episode. But as an afterthought, the plot had flaws. Personally I don't think it was terrible...I agree the back and forth with the inception was a bit too much in hindsight but when I saw it for the first time it wasn't too big of a bother.
The verdict? Sure, Moffat gets a bit bloated at times (I saw someone describe the writing of Series 3 and The Abominable Bride as "Instead of thinking 'Sherlock is amazing!' we are forced to think 'Moffat's writing is amazing!'）. However, it is that same man that brought us that stroke of genius which gives us the things we love so much in the first place. I am appreciative of the creators' work, but I would love it if they could find the delicate balance that made Sherlock Series 1 and 2 so amazing. Please find the balance between drama and wit, humour and plot, tread the thin line between clever and obnoxious, subtle cuteness and fanservie...that, is what we love about Sherlock.
Sitting in the cinemas at a special screening I enjoyed The Abominable Bride thoroughly, it was very funny and enjoyable with a packed cinema full of fans and everybody laughing at all the jokes and references. I have to admit that I came out of the cinemas dazed and amazed...
On the way back I read a Screen Rant article (http://screenrant.com/sherlock-abominable-bride- review/), then I read fan theories and comments elsewhere on the net, and boy was I shocked!
Among fans, so many negative thoughts were floating around this episode, exactly like when Series 3 hit the screen. Thinking about all the quirks in the episode I realized that those complaints were legitimate. I remembered all those times I felt that things weren't quite right (eg. weird spinning transitions...), all those moments when my brain filled with screams of fan-service (eloping...wear the damn hat...having 'urges'...)...but alas, as a fan I thoroughly enjoyed that glorious 115 minutes (screenings got treated to Moffat doing a tour of 221B for the opening and Gatiss finishing it off with interviews with the cast).
Fans will no doubt enjoy the fan-service (Gosh the jokes! Nearly choked to death laughing!), as well as seeing Benedict and Martin as Sherlock and John again, the cinematography held up quite well in a stadium style VMAX (Event cinemas Australia's version of IMAX) cinema (bar a couple of moments where viewers can clearly see the TV-ness of it all).
Without over-analysing, one could easily make an enjoyable watch out of the episode. But as an afterthought, the plot had flaws. Personally I don't think it was terrible...I agree the back and forth with the inception was a bit too much in hindsight but when I saw it for the first time it wasn't too big of a bother.
The verdict? Sure, Moffat gets a bit bloated at times (I saw someone describe the writing of Series 3 and The Abominable Bride as "Instead of thinking 'Sherlock is amazing!' we are forced to think 'Moffat's writing is amazing!'）. However, it is that same man that brought us that stroke of genius which gives us the things we love so much in the first place. I am appreciative of the creators' work, but I would love it if they could find the delicate balance that made Sherlock Series 1 and 2 so amazing. Please find the balance between drama and wit, humour and plot, tread the thin line between clever and obnoxious, subtle cuteness and fanservie...that, is what we love about Sherlock.