The Royal Scandal

Am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and get a lot of enjoyment out of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. Also love Basil Rathbone's and especially Jeremy Brett's interpretations to death. So would naturally see any Sherlock Holmes adaptation that comes my way, regardless of its reception.

The third film in the generally negatively received (though not unwatchable) four films starring Matt Frewer, 'The Royal Scandal' fares better than 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' and 'The Sign of Four'. It at least doesn't have the dubious distinction of butchering classic stories, 'The Sign of Four' was particularly disappointing. There are far better Sherlock Holmes adaptations though, even the worst Jeremy Brett adaptations are superior than any of Frewer's films. Not terrible, but should have been much better.

Again, Kenneth Welsh is the best thing about 'The Royal Scandal' and the only good actor in the film. He is an excellent Watson and more the faithful interpretation of a loyal and intelligent Watson and not the bumbling buffoon for comic relief purposes.

Found some of the locations suitably atmospheric, if perhaps not authentic, and the adaptation shot competently enough.

However, my negative feelings on Frewer's Holmes remains unchanged. He is far too manic and eccentric, with too much of an over-emphasis on hammy humour in places, and his rapport with Watson too abrasive and borderline bullying. The supporting cast range from bland (Irene Adler) to pantomimic (the villains, which are basically barely developed caricatures).

Moreover, 'The Royal Scandal' has a lack of tension and suspense and is pretty dull. It further suffers from being somewhat over-stuffed, too many various and different ideas cobbled together and it just feels muddled and disjointed. The costumes are not particularly appealing to look at and some of the dialogue, apart from some thought-provoking moments, is ham-fisted. Having too much emphasis on Holmes taking on the case on a more personal level didn't feel right either.

Overall, lacklustre while not being unwatchable. 4/10 Bethany Cox

When Sherlock Holmes faces an old enemy in the beautiful form of Irene Adler, a woman with a keenly criminal mind, his wills become torn between sentimentality and justice. He has been commissioned by the Prince of Germany to recover a compromising photograph taken with Irene, but is soon swept into a world of political intrigue, unrest, scandal, and double intentions that could be his downfall.

Filled with dark, fog-shrouded chases through London, heart-stopping instances of horror, and momentary glimpses into the mind of Sherlock Holmes, "The Royal Scandal" was meant to be a classic among film adaptations. Sadly, it falls far short. The film begins most appropriately with a disclaimer saying that it has not been endorsed by any member of Doyle's family. This in itself was a grand giveaway that the following hour and a half of whirlwind scandal, deception, romance and imperial intrigue was not exactly what good old Doyle intended when he penned "A Scandal in Bohemia," upon which the production is very loosely based.

Given, the film is not an entire flop. It manages to follow closely the story in some areas and expand out in others. Borrowing the blueprint scam and political tensions from His Last Bow, it attempts to make for itself a winning mystery of charm and interest and could have carried itself off well were it not for the gaping holes in character development. Our first and most glaring flaw is found in Holmes himself... a distracted, romantically entangled Holmes. A Sherlock Holmes who finds himself blinded by beauty and seduction, who prides himself one moment on "being the one exception" in the male race who consistently gives in to Irene Adler's temptations; and the next finds himself compromised.

Non-literary fans of Sherlock Holmes will even notice the flaws; that Homes would ever place personal interest before one of his cases is ridiculous; and his interest in Irene is played out on more a personal nature than a willingness to corner her for the government's sake. To Sherlock Holmes, this would be the ultimate humiliation. On the other end of the tables, the political intrigue that is played out is very enthralling as Irene and Holmes play out a delightful game of cat and mouse. London is at its most mysterious and sinister. We are also introduced to characters only alluded to in the novels... namely his political brother Mycroft, and the street-wise Wiggins.

In conclusion, it is a film that wavers between being likable due to the nature of its intent and distasteful to true lovers of the Canon. If you are a died-in-the-wool Sherlockian like myself, you will find Holmes inability to control his feelings somewhat hard to swallow. But the rest of the production is just seductive enough to draw you into a world of lies, deceptions, and double agents that would please any mystery buff. Hallmark could have done better; maybe next time their writer would fare better in actually *reading* the Canon.

The four Sherlock Holmes movies by Hallmark are just good fun versions for kids. Don't even try to take 'em seriously folks. Don't expect them to be artistic masterpieces based on literary classics. These TV movies were made for a family audience and there's plenty of comedy for kids in these things. Frewer's Holmes must be seen to be believed! He's a hoot! He's the most eccentric Holmes EVER! Kids will love this guy! Kenneth Welsh is much more traditional in his role and he makes a very fine Watson. These Frewer Holmes flicks are sure to entertain the kids and will hopefully encourage them to read more about The Master Detective. They certainly wont get bored watching any of these with the ultra-intense and comedic Frewer on the screen.

The Crown Prince and future Kaiser of the German Empire comes to Sherlock Holmes (Matt Frewer) and his faithful sidekick Dr. John H. Watson (Kenneth Welsh) with a dire personal case. He is being blackmailed by Polish opera singer Irene Adler with a compromising photograph. She is a con-woman known to Holmes after an encounter six years earlier. He suspects that there is more to the case and it gets even more complicated with the involvement of his brother Mycroft (R.H. Thomson).

This is a Canadian production distributed on Hallmark. Frewer as Holmes continues to be a bit lightweight and he's trying too hard with his upturned chin. The visual style is TV level. Kenneth Welsh is a solid Watson. The plot is at least followable and even a little compelling at times. The directing style and production style leaves a little to desire. The Frewer-Holmes series is not the best but this may be the best of the bunch.

The awful applies to Sherlock Holmes himself - Matt Frewer criminally miscast. He plays annoying with great facility, but even with his quirks Sherlock Holmes is usually at least likable. Three stars given only for the very nice production, and the contrast of Kenneth Welsh as Watson, showing what a serviceable actor can do. Otherwise a very amateurish job of acting by all concerned, having all the earmarks of a vanity project done by, oh, say an ambitious billionaire wanting to play Sherlock, or for Star Trek TNG fans, a self indulgent crew member acting out his fantasies on the holodeck.

Very disappointing, unwatchable except for the fact that I could not find my remote control, and a somewhat interesting plot that kept me from looking harder for the remote control. Still, I did not watch to the end, so take that into consideration.