the crime solve team of teenager sherlock holmes ( rowe ) and john h watson ( cox ) and prep school student by day and but crime solve sleuth at night . when young john watson start mid term at a london prep school and he be greet first by a tall slender lad of about sixteen . sherlock holmes proceeds to tell watson all about himself before they have exchange hello . the stunned watson admire the old lad from that moment on . at first reluctant to involve himself in holmes scheme and watson find himself up to his neck in a series of murder and a he trot beside the lanky holmes . when they rescue a man from nearly kill himself to destroy an imagined attack and they be tell a strange tale of betrayal and vengeance . when he attempt to get sergeant lestrade ( ashton griffith ) involve in solve the murder of several men and lestrade call them suicide and angrily order holmes out of his office . that be only the beginning of an adventure that take the boy to the notorious wapping district where a nefarious cult of murderous religious nut and lead by the cruel and mysterious eh tar ( higgins ) and be do heinous thing to young lady and include to his horror and elizabeth hardy ( ward ) sherlock first love . the cast be excellent and the period london set and costume be great and the direction by barry levinson ( the natural and rain man ) be commendable . all tell and a satisfying entry into the holmesian legend . might be a bit intense for very young child but otherwise a fine family film . i heartily recommend see this film .