Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sobaka Baskerviley

Once, a poll was conducted in England, and Vassily Livanov and Vitaliy Solomin were found the best ever impersonation of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the movies all over the world. Here, the brilliant couple delivers again. In addition, the winning plot and the magnificent guest performances of Nikita Michalkov as Sir Henry and of Oleg Yankovsky as Stapleton make this movie exceptional even amongst the Russian Sherlock Holmes series. A must!

Russian TV version of the story that was filmed as part of a series and then released elsewhere as a stand alone film. For the most part an excellent adaption of the story with a real genuine chemistry and warmth between Homes and Watson that would seem to predate the Jermey Brett series. This feels the way the stories should feel. If there are any flaws in the film it would be that Henry Baskerville is not English raised in North America rather he's decidedly Russian in manner, The moors, while very ominous-possibly the most in any adaptation-are not quite England and the last "flaw" is that the film is overly faithful to the story and runs two and a half hours.They are minor flaws and should not keep you from watching one of the better Holmes films made.

Hard to find in the US, my DVD was a gift from my sister -- a Slavic Languages professor -- who knows how to find such things. Faithful to the original novel, this probably isn't the best introduction to the series, as Holmes is absent through much of it while Watson investigates alone. With so little Holmes/Watson interaction, some of the appeal must certainly be missing.

That said, I very much like how Watson seriously, diligently, and intelligently carries out his investigation, not unlike numerous other successful fictional detectives. Except when tipsy, he is rarely the stereotypically foolish Watson. If I had never heard of Sherlock Holmes I might even have expected Watson himself to solve the mystery. However, because he is so serious it makes his character a bit too dry through much of film; though that in turn makes his actual flashes of foolishness and his reunion with Holmes more effective illustrations of Watson's true character.

What was interesting about the supporting characters is that they definitely seem to have more than a little Russian in them, from the humorously extroverted Sir Henry Baskerville to the arch-slavic-tragedian portrayal of Beryl Stapleton. I found it a bit jarring at first, expecting more British reserve in the characters, but eventually just let them be themselves and let myself be entertained. Much of Dartmoor also looks far more Russian than English, but that's only to be expected and easily overlooked.

Overall, this is a well done 'Hound', true to the story and true to the characters of Holmes and Watson. I got some hint of Vasili Livanov and Vitali Solomin's vast appeal, but not enough for me to become a wildly enthusiastic myself. At least, not yet. Because that hint is more than enough for me to nag my sister into getting me the rest of the Livanov/Solomin Holmes series. And then we'll see....

Russians are good at adapting English detective stories.Didn't they make the best version of Agatha Christie's "Ten little N....." aka "ten little Indians" aka "and then there were none" ,the only one which followed the plot of the novel till the end.

"Hound" is no exception.Its unusual length is explained by the fact it was a two-part MTV work.(One should notice that Russian "ten little N..." had a running time of two hours +)Well acted ,the movie sounds English wherever it takes place,in Baker street in Sherlock's flat -the streets of London are the only flaw ,but we do not see them that much- or in the Baskerville castle or on the moor .The butler serving porridge every morning could not sound more English.The flashback concerning Hugo Baskerville receives a treatment which retains its mystery.The landscapes and the color are excellent and the subtitles allow non-Russian-speaking to follow the plot ,in case they would not know it,which is ,like for Christie's novel ,dubious for whodunit buffs.

"The Hound of the Baskervilles" is almost certainly the Sherlock Holmes story most adapted for screen versions. In a sense that's not surprising because it's so good, but in another it is, since the character of Holmes himself is absent for much of the story. Filmmakers tend to resort to awkwardly rewriting the original or leaving the story in the hands of a bumbling, unbelievable Watson.

This film, however, from a series of excellent films made for Soviet television and starring Vasili Livanov as Holmes, benefits from a Watson who is perhaps the screen's best -- excellently acted by Vitali Solomin as both a man ready for action and a sensitive writer, and always three- dimensionally written. He's more than capable of driving the middle section of this "Hound of the Baskervilles" -- a production which apart from that also seems to get just about everything else right.

In two parts it runs to almost two and a half hours, and that long running time is invaluable. It never drags, being excellently directed with attention to detail in every shot and a nuanced sense of suspense, and the extra breathing room allows every minor and supporting character to be given a significant role. That's huge, as they are all illuminated with well-written scenes and inhabited as character parts with good performances. It gives a great sense of scope and complexity to the mystery.

Part of the success here is that this production somehow manages to treat the original without too much reverence, but still to recreate its atmosphere perfectly. This means while Sir Henry is introduced as a very funny figure of comedy, he can slowly become more of a figure of pity. It is actually quite effective the way heart is added by playing on Sir Henry's unrequited love for Mrs. Stapleton, and his interactions with Barrymore become a delightful whole movie in and of themselves.

As with the other films the cinematography as well as the locations and settings are gorgeous and evocative of a very rich and detailed Victorian world -- with a slightly Russian flavor mirrored in the language naturally spoken by the actors. The music sometimes strikes a contrast this time, but always seems to work despite itself. The hound itself -- which in other films comes off as silly -- is realized with wonderful and spooky simplicity as per its actual explanation.

And, as in his previous appearances, Vasili Livanov is a sublime Sherlock Holmes -- an immensely appealing and well-acted version of the character.

In short, as close to a perfect screen version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" as I have seen, and a cracking good film on its own.