Let's get this out there first - I think Will Ferrell is a comedic genius. Whatever your taste in comedy may be at the moment, there's no denying that for a long time, Ferrell changed the comedy landscape forever. He came in to SNL and completely revitalized it with his unique brand of humor. Then, when he left to make movies, he created SEVERAL iconic characters that will have a lasting impact in comedy lore. Anchorman's Ron Burgandy and Talladega Nights' Ricky Bobby were two Ferrell characters that showcased just how damned funny the man could be (he also had Adam McKay by his side and a cast of brilliant comedians). Since then, Ferrell has made a lot of hit or miss films that never really reached the peak of the first two. For every Blades of Glory there's a Semi-Pro. But Holmes & Watson takes the "miss" to a whole other level. If the title of this review didn't already spell it out for you, let me reiterate - Holmes & Watson is fucking terrible.
I'm going to blaspheme right now and I apologize to those who I offend. I do not like Stepbrothers. I don't think it's the classic and funny movie that so many people have. I think that McKay and Ferrell took a step backwards with the film by getting rid of plot and creating two unlikable characters that don't really do or say anything that funny to me. I've seen it three or four times. I saw it as a young 20-something and didn't care for it. I gave it another shot in my mid-20s and didn't care for it. And I watched it earlier this year in my early 30s and my opinion hasn't changed. HOWEVER. I do understand why people enjoy it. I can admit that while I don't particularly find it that funny, I can see there is humor present in the movie that would strike someone without my own particular sense of humor. Stepbrothers is not a vast comedy that will tickle the funnybone of everyone who sees it (like Anchorman or Talladega Nights), it's a niche comedy that you either love or hate. So, why waste an entire paragraph of this review talking about a movie that's ten years old? Because unlike Stepbrothers, Holmes & Watson doesn't even have humor that SOME people would find funny. It's so wildly unfunny, you can't even force a pity laugh without succumbing to crippling sadness.
Comedy is at its worst when it's lazily written. You can hit all the script points you need to have a "story". You can add actors who are known for being funny. You can add a hook to your story to draw a crowd, but if you never give a shit about anything beyond that - it's the worst kind of comedy. I think Ferrell and John C. Reilly do have a very good chemistry, but just putting the two men in front of a camera doesn't automatically mean you've struck gold. There was a lot of potential here. I mean, Ferrell and Reilly doing a comedic take on the normally serious Sherlock Holmes and John Watson characters? I'm already sold on the pitch. But that's all the movie is - an idea that SOUNDS like it COULD HAVE been funny when really all writer/director Etan Cohen did was pitch an idea. Everything else seems like they came up with it on the day and just went with it. There's only like four set pieces to the movie. There's a seriously illogical plot. And the biggest piece of evidence this is how the production went - almost everyone has been shoddily dubbed over in the film for one reason or another. Half of the voices don't match the lips and the editor was so tired of watching the same shitty scenes over and over he just said "fuck it, it's fine."
I don't know what the hell was done to get such big names in the movie either. This film is populated with recognizable faces, not just of comedians, but serious thespians as well. I assume Ralph Fiennes just really wanted to work with Ferrell on a film at some point and didn't sign on because he'd read the script (which I also assume was impossible because there's no way this movie had a script - more the incoherent crayon drawings of a writer who accidentally pitched his way to making a movie). Rebecca Hall, Steve Coogan, Kelly Macdonald and Hugh Laurie are all a part of this traffic collision and every scene they're in, it's even more cringe-worthy because what they're given to do doesn't even sound like a funny idea that just didn't work - it just sounds terrible. A few times you could see these people drop out of character and cringe along with you. Ferrell was on James Corden's show and expressed that a comedian never sets out to make a bad movie, but sometimes when everything comes together, it just doesn't work. And for the most part, I agree with that. So, normally, when we see Ferrell doing something outrageous for a laugh that he doesn't get - you still applaud his bravery and commitment to trying to get the laugh. In Holmes & Watson it's an entirely different level. I almost felt embarrassed for him. I've never felt embarrassed for Will Ferrell. There's a scene where Sherlock, for no reason, breaks out into song... a dreadfully unfunny song that doesn't even match up to the music... and I felt embarrassed. I felt that somehow it was MY fault this was happening to Ferrell, but I couldn't stop it.
Ferrell's movies have ranged from brilliant to stupid, but without a doubt I can say that Holmes & Watson is Will Ferrell's worst movie of his entire career. This is without overstatement. And it's not even close. Whatever you consider his worst movie - this one has you checked and mated. The terrible British accents (which could've been played for laughs with a better script) hinder the moments where humor could've escaped and made it difficult to improvise since both actors looked totally uncomfortable speaking with them. The anachronistic jokes in the movie range from over-done/obvious Trump jokes to jokes about the movie Ghost (yeah, timely). There's Titanic jokes, several cocaine jokes, confusing masturbation jokes, and jokes about America. All are so forced and riddled with anti-humor that the feeling of embarrassment never leaves, it just reinforces itself in your gut so much that you want to upchuck into your bucket of popcorn (which also happens in the film). I'm not going to be one of those people who says this is the beginning of the end of Ferrell's career, but I will say he needs to get back with Adam McKay soon for a jump start. And writer/director Etan Cohen... you should be goddamn ashamed of yourself for what you did to poor Will Ferrell. You owe him an apology and probably some more money because whatever Ferrell was paid for this film will never be enough to justify its existence.
D-
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