The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Review

The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Review

This review is written by someone ignorant of the original story. Some points made in this review may be the fault of the source material rather than the film in question. Enjoy!

Review: Hammer Horror lend their usual brand of campy shlock to this 1959 adaptation of the classic Sherlock Holmes story, with stellar performances with Peter Cushing as Holmes and Christopher Lee as the terrorised old money Henry Baskerville. Not, as Arrow Video's press notes would have you believe, the genius detective's "most terrifying adventure!", although that does not negate the film's many inspired moments, largely courtesy of a chilling score and the starkly beautiful Dartmoor setting (actually the exotic locales of...Surrey.) The mystery offers few surprises for Doyle fans or people who spend too much time watching movies (yours truly would know nothing about that. Obviously.), yet serves as a satisfactory background for wonderful interplay between the perfectly cast crop of characters. Andre Morell makes an excellent Watson, far more jovial than more recent versions. The supporting cast also includes Francis de Wolff and Ewen Sollon are both excellent as Dr Mortimer and the scheming farmer Stapleton, whose webbed hands become an unlikely plot point in later proceedings. Cushing is the Holmes to whom all other versions must be compared. Never before or since has an actor more convincingly captured the essence of the timeless character; his fervent intelligence and boyish enthusiasm embodied perfectly in every scene. Unfortunately, as is the way for many Hammer productions, the film is a slow-burn building to a rushed denouement. Sherlock doesn't appear on Dartmoor until passed the half-way point, with the final twist coming in exactly five minutes before the end of the movie (including credits). You get the sense that if director Terrence Fisher (a Hammer veteran, responsible for many of their best works) and writer Peter Bryan had  the patience to stick with the story for a while longer, this could reside in classic status. For now though, it remains a well-played and proficiently told gothic horror in search of a more engaging mystery.

Extras: Along with Arrow's standard high-definition transfer, collector's booklet and reversible cover art, this impressive set also includes a brand new documentary on the film (featuring critic Kim Newman and Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss), a new commentary with Hammer experts Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby, a featurette on Morell's work with Hammer, an archive interview with Lee, excerpts from the story, a theatrical trailer and an "extensive" image gallery (judge for yourselves on that last one)

Five-Word Verdict: Benedict Cumberbatch can step aside

Score: 3½/5

The Hound of the Baskervilles is out on Blu-ray on 1st June