"The games is afoot Watson" as Sherlock Holmes and his sturdy companion go off to Madrid to track down Jack the Ripper. Murders very similar to those in London have taken place and Holmes is sure Jack has moved but continued his happy hobby of killing women and cutting out their organs. Holmes and the Ripper have been put together in a few films and some of the Holmes books not written by Doyle. It is a natural. Like Ruth and Gehrig. This is a Spanish produced film directed by José Luis Garci, who had directed the excellent El Crack (1981) which I watched and enjoyed a few weeks ago. When I saw this on his filmography, I had to track it down being the Holmes obsessive that I am. I was faster than Holmes in tracking down Jack. What was Garci thinking I might ask? His Holmes and Watson share very little with what we have come to expect. That is ok I guess but then the film just putters along like a bad very long book. It felt interminable. A Jack the Ripper film with the suspense of a long nap.


Holmes (Gary Piquer) and Watson (José Luis García Pérez) travel to Madrid - after Watson says goodbye to his new wife Mary. Watson is a stud in this. All I could think of was Nigel Bruce in bed with his wife whispering sweet nothings as she purrs. In Madrid Holmes goes after Jack - well he does after banging Irene Adler, visiting the nightclubs, a fancy spoiree, dinner with VIPs, endless conversations about history, music, philosophy, politics and more banging of Irene Adler. Gads man, you are suppose to be after Jack. Watson spends his time romancing a lovely senorita and gives her a big kiss as he mentions that he has a wife. Watson is a player. In the end Holmes does solve it of course - how he found the time is the real mystery - it is a giant Deep State conspiracy worthy of QAnon.