A rather empty film with a criminally underused cast, this flick is actually surprisingly likeable when one considers its many faults. The only good parts are the crazy visuals and the existentially lonely and angsty character of Zissou. An antertaining piece, although far from the pitch black comedy it's paraded as.
Rathbone makes for a very charismatic Holmes and even Bruce makes a decent job of his unappealing role as a bumbling idiot of a Watson. The pace of the film is extremely rushed and makes everything feels forced, although that might actually be a good thing in this out of time piece. Keep your eyes peeled for the single canon shoutout, as this movie is not for book fans.
Unsurprisingly, the sequel fails to meet the quality of the original. Much of the wit and comedy has been replaced pure cheesiness and blatant attempts at hearts-string tugging.
Bruce Campbell does what Jennifer Tilly already did years ago in Seed of Chucky: is a campy horror actor who makes fun of himself in his own campy horror movie. For fanboys it's an orgasmic 84 minute in-joke, while others shake their heads in vague disgust.
Although most of the story and some fairly important scenes have been nixed and the exposition has been turned into painfully overwrought angstmongery or comic relief, this movie is infinitely better than the book and actually works pretty well.