When “Sherlock Holmes” comes to mind, most people think of Conan Doyle’s character in the stories in which detective Holmes and his “sidekick” Watson solve mysteries. However, if one has never read any of these stories prior to seeing the 2009 film with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, he or she may be a little more than confused while watching the story play out on the big screen.

The film, directed by untraditional pick Guy Ritchie, is a beautiful film with great visual effects and amazing acting, but it was downplayed by how incredibly confusing the film was.

Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and Watson (Law) have on-screen chemistry and are hilarious complements of one another. Rachel McAdams brings her usual charm to the film as well as provides a counterpart to the character of Holmes. All of this put aside, it must be said that previous “Sherlock Holmes” knowledge must be attained before viewing this film, or it probably will not make any sense.

In the movie, Holmes and Watson are setting out to catch the serial murderer Lord Blackwood who they had previously caught only to find that he has escaped and is killing again. They go on a series of adventures, and all while this is taking place the two exchange cute “one liners” that make the audience laugh and create a break in the intense storyline.

Guy Ritchie, who has directed movies such as “Snatch” and “Swept Away,” does an incredible job of branching into a bigger production and is one of the best things about this film. He really brings the whole movie together and films tall and overview shots that make this movie shine with beauty.

The downside of this movie is obviously its confusion to the audience. What’s going on? Who is doing what? Why are they going in there? All of these questions arise, and they don’t really get answered. However, Downey Jr. and Law are such good actors that the viewer ends up not caring about the confusion and just watches their chemistry unfold.

“Sherlock Holmes” is a good film for those who already know what they’re getting themselves into, meaning they know background information about the characters and a little about the stories. If you have no prior knowledge of “Holmes,” maybe just go see it for the laughs and great directing, but be prepared for a confusing plot.