THE HOUNDS OF BASKERVILLE

UK, 2012, 90 minutes, Colour.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Lara Pulver, Mark Gattis, Rupert Graves, Andrew Scott, Una Stubbs, Russell Tovey, Clive Mantle.
Directed by Paul Mc Guigan?.

The Hounds of Baskerville is part of the second series of television’s Sherlock. The second series was considered an advance on the first series.

The strong aspect of the second series is how the original stories have been updated and adapted for the 21st century. This is especially the case for this film, based on one of Conan Doyle’s most popular novels.

The setting is an installation in the English countryside which experiments on animals, especially for military purposes and instilling fear. Its name is Baskerville. Several of the names from the original story have been transferred to this version. And there is a parallel of the hound appearing on the moors.
Benedict Cumberbatch excels as Sherlock, with this his fifth film in the role. Martin Freeman is also a very good as Dr. Watson. Rupert Graves appears as Lestrade.

As with the original, this story remains more focused on the central plot while many of the other films which have several subplots.

Once again, the film has been directed by Paul McGuigan?.


1. The popularity of the series? Benedict Cumberbatch? Martin Freeman? The perennial popularity of Sherlock Holmes? The ingenuity of Conan Doyle’s stories?

2. Sherlock Holmes in the 21st century? An adept the basis of Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles? The adaptation, a contemporary reworking of the plot? Well-known characters, parallels and differences?

3. London and the 21st century? The contrast with the moors and woods, crags? The atmosphere? The Baskerville plant, security, mine field?

4. The visits to the plant? The depth, the lifts, security, the laboratories, the animals?

5. The hound, the visual effects, and night, dark, fears? Narcotics?

6. Sherlock bored, needing a fix, his carrying on, searching for the drugs, Watson’s refusal? His need for investigating a case?

7. Henry Knight, the prologue, the boy, his father’s death, the hound, the night and the fear, his imagination, therapy? His sessions, the sympathetic therapist,
the gun and his threatening her? Coming to Holmes, his story? Sherlock not interested? His change of mind? The word, hound, and its meaning? Henry’s growing desperation, participation in the case?

8. The visualizing of Sherlock’s thoughts, his mind, diagrams, his mind working?

9. Going to the moors, the site of the attack, Sherlock going later, seeing the hound, his fear?

10. Going to the plant, Mycroft’s card, the corporal and his showing everything? Doctor Frankland and his welcome, his card, cell phone number? The American giveaway? The laboratories, Doctor Stapleton, her animal experiments? The issue of the coloured rabbit’s case and Sherlock rejecting it? The connection? The superior officer, hostility? Their being caught, escorted out, threatened? The personality of the superior officer, and Sherlock’s working out his password, the connection with Mrs. Thatcher and his admiration for her?

11. The speculation about H. O. U. N. D.? Liberty in? Sherlock’s deductions and their being seen, the solution, Indiana, his research, the photo of the group, Frankland in it?

12. The experiments, the animals, the creation of fear? As a military strategy? Watson and his search, experiencing the hound, his fear, hiding? Phone call
to Sherlock, released, Sherlock experimenting, whether for narcotics was in the sugar?

13. The media and the story of the hound? Tours and tourists? The tourist guide, getting information, the bet for 50 pounds? The owners of the pub, the talk, the docket for the meat, the dog? Their being partners? The capitalizing on tourism, not killing the dog, its later attack?

14. The solution, the narcotics in the fog?

15. The finale, Henry and the gun and the therapist? Watson’s discussion with the therapist and his being exposed? On the moors, inspector Lestrade, the attack, the shooting? Henry’s desperation? The arrival of Dr. Frandland? The explanation, Henry and remembering and threatening Dr. Frankland experiments? Going into the minefield, his death, deliberate and the audience seeing his thinking?

16. The character of Sherlock in himself, Watson and his character, their friendship, innuendo about them, the blog, people reading Watson’s blog, admiring Holmes?