Television Review: The Hound of the Baskervilles (2002)
BBC can be proud of many things, but not of its adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. To make things even more embarrassing for British state television, the most celebrated screen incarnation of the world’s best known detective was the series starring Jeremy Brett and produced by rival Granada Television. BBC, however, couldn’t be accused of not trying and one of its early efforts in 21st Century was The Hound of the Baskervilles, high budget film directed by David Atwood.
The film is based on the eponymous 1902 novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Plot begins in Victorian London where Dr. James Mortimer (played by David Nettles), physician working in rural area of southern Devon, came to seek assistance from Sherlock Holmes (played by Richard Roxburgh) and Dr. Watson (played by Ian Hart). Sir Charles Baskerville (played by Peter Roberts), his friend and local aristocrat, has suddenly died, which is common occurrence in the family, rumoured to be affected by centuries old curse. Dr. Mortimer fears that the same fate awaits his young nephew Sir Henry Baskerville (played by Matt Day), who came to the area to claim his inheritance. Dr. Watson accompanies Dr. Mortimer back to Devon, where they meet Sir Henry. Trio begins to investigate, while Dr. Watson learns about local legend of monstrous hound that lives in nearby moor.
The Hound of the Baskervilles was considered a prestige production, not only because of high budget, but because it was aired during Christmas. BBC has put some serious resources in the film, including the special effects team behind prestigious documentary Walking with Dinosaurs. While director David Attwood did a solid job, it is a different story with scriptwriter Allan Cubbit, known for his work on dark crime dramas like Prime Suspect and The Fall. He tried to remain faithful to Doyle’s text in some aspects, but at the same discarding many characters, adding some elements (like spiritistic seance) and, more importantly, having much darker ending. Those changes are interesting at first, but by the end they look like novelty for the novelty’s sake. Ian Hart is quite good in the role of rather unconventional Dr. Watson, who is much younger, more serious, more conventional and more interested in opposite sex than his counterparts in other screen adaptations. Richard Roxburgh is solid in his role, but easily overshadowed by Hart and Richard E. Grant who plays villainous Jack Stapleton. At the end, whether you would enjoy this film depends very much whether have you seen an earlier adaptation of the novel or not. If the answer is “yes”, you are more likely to be disappointed. BBC and Cubbitt in 2004 made a sequel, The Case of Silk Stocking, based on original script with Hart repeating role of Dr. Watson and role of Holmes being taken over by Rupert Everett.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
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