Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that director Guy Ritchie's take on the Sherlock Holmes legend -- which stars Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Rachel McAdams -- presents an earthier, brawnier, and glossier version of the famous literary/cinematic detective than most of us are used to ... which is exactly why teens will love it. Gritty, late-1800s London is the movie's backdrop, and there's no shortage of action -- from brutal, slo-mo fistfight scenes (most with blood and broken bones) to gunplay and big explosions. There are also some fairly gory crime scenes (including shots of dead bodies, one with a few wriggling maggots), a brief scene of a naked (aside from a strategically placed pillow) Holmes handcuffed to a bed, references to the dark rituals of occult secret societies, smoking, and drinking. But there's no swearing to speak of, and the movie ultimately celebrates Holmes and Watson's close friendship.

Sexual Content

A man is briefly shown naked and handcuffed to a bed, with only a pillow covering his private parts. He makes a suggestive sexual comment to the chamber maid. Some flirty banter between former lovers, and a few quick kisses exchanged between them. A woman undresses; her naked back is glimpsed.

Violence

Frequent violence, including gunplay, bloody fistfights (some in slow-motion, detailing each painful blow in wince-inducing fashion), and a few big explosions. Guns, knives, a rudimentary Taser, and poison are used in various face-offs; corpses are displayed (in dirt with maggots visible, singed to a crisp after being engulfed in flames, dead in bathtub water). Men are shown hanging from a noose; a woman nearly stabs herself. Animal carcasses are shown hanging and sawed in half; a frog is shown in mid-dissection; dead rats are seen.

Language

Very little; extremely infrequent uses of words like "damn" and "hell."

Social Behavior

There are some power-hungry, murderous villains on the loose in London, and the city itself is presented as a fairly brutal, gritty environment. But the film also celebrates Holmes' eccentric genius and his close friendship with Watson. Though he's a cantankerous soul, Holmes clearly values his friend and even tries to save a former paramour despite the fact that she once double-crossed him.

Consumerism

Not applicable

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Holmes sometimes drinks to excess (and he isn't always picky about what he drinks to get there); characters drink wine at a restaurant; Holmes smokes a pipe.