Young Sherlock - The Mystery of the Manor House [DVD] | Adventure Mystery Movie for Teens & Adults | Perfect for Family Movie Nights & Mystery Lovers

My younger cousins were enthralled with the Steven Spielberg-produced "Young Sherlock Holmes" movie from the mid-'80s. They kept wanting to see more Sherlock (during his younger years in particular) so naturally I was happy to find this mini-series that had been long out of print. With good reason, it seems. This production is rumored to have inspired the aforementioned Spielberg flick. The young actor who plays Sherlock isn't the same as the one who appeared on the big screen, but he isn't bad at all, acting wise. His appearance is rather odd, however, and doesn't exactly fit the bill--except for his appropriately lean build. Unfortunately, there is no junior Watson, but a prototype in an older friend whom Sherlock calls "John". Holmes's future landlady makes an appearance, though she is not called Mrs. Hudson yet. The plot itself revolves around a sinister plan to replace Queen Victoria with a look-alike; this sounds more interesting than it plays out. If the pace weren't so funeral, I don't see why this wouldn't be a more well-known effort. Curiously, this plot idea is echoed somewhat in Disney's "The Great Mouse Detective", but that version makes it much more entertaining.