The Hound of the Baskervilles [VHS]

The Hound of the Baskervilles [VHS]
by Rodney Gibbons

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VHS Movie Reviews of The Hound of the Baskervilles [VHS]

Movie Review: Haunting Fun
Summary: 4 Stars

Stir in an eerie setting of lonely moors and creaking corridors, as well as an escaped convict that roams the heath by night, and you have a chilling Hallmark presentation that brings Doyle's most world-renowned work to the silver screen once again. And although Holmes plays only a slight role in this epic adventure, his presence is always somehow noted through the constant correspondence of Dr. Watson. But this time Watson is on his own... can he separate truth from lies in time to save the impressionable young Sir Henry's life? Or will this ghostly devil-dog rule the night?

The film stays close to the book in some respect (some of the lines are directly from the original manuscript), but it tends to wander a bit toward the end for dramatic purposes. It also moves rather slowly in the first half hour, but builds up later toward the climax. Despite its flaws, this adaptation is a fine one with an excellent cast and haunting soundtrack. I generally have a high opinion of most Hallmark presentations but a low one of Sherlock Holmes adaptations and I went into it with mixed feelings when it premiered, but I was pleasantly surprised. Dr. Watson, I was much impressed with. Instead of being portrayed as the bumbling idiot as with most other adaptations (most notably the originals starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce) this Watson does credit to the series... he's a witty, thoughtful man who is well-believed to have been a doctor at one time, and a darn good one at that. Holmes is a somewhat more comical portrayal than is normal, but it makes him extremely likable in that Matt Frewer does play him with an element of prideful arrogance (in keeping with the books). My mother, who is a strict non-Sherlockian, even admitted to liking him in the end. 

It might not have the overall sense of doom as the Basil Rathbone version, or the ripping good climax of the Ian Richardson early eighties presentation, but it stands well upon its own two feet and is great fun for the entire family... considering, of course, that the children are not very young.