I love this movie so much

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

Boring, long, and too preachy.

A Major Disappointment

When I first heard about this Russian Sherlock Holmes stories, I was curious. Thanks to an up loader on Youtube, I think he is also the same person who writes the number one review here, I was able to watch it.Perhaps due to issues not related to this film, issues of my life, I cannot say that I have been enthralled with this film. HOund of the Baskervilles of course is the most famous of all Sherlock Holmes stories. You have the 1939 film with the most famous of Holmes, Basil Rathbone, and then you have the 1959 version, color courtesy of Hammer, with Peter Cushing.Having seen the Hammer version first, before the Rathbone version, The Hammer version has always been my favorite, even above the more critically acclaimed 1939 version. Also for me, Peter Cushing will always be Sherlock Holmes, Andre Morrell Dr. Watson, and Christopher Lee the young Baskerville from Canada. Even the actor in that version playing Doctor Mortimer was great as well. I would suspect that anyone having watched the 39 and 59 versions first, will have a tough time with any other Hound of the Baskerville movies.Watching the Hound of The Baskervilles in the Russin version, while the acting by most is good, I have problems with the gentlemen playing Mortimer and the young Baskerville. Sorry that I cannot give names of the actors, I saw the actors film Slave of Love, which I did enjoy. I just can't stand both of their characters, though I kind of like it when this Dr. Mortimer holds his dog. Another big problem that others I think will have if they have seen the two more famous Baskerville movies, is that their is no suspense, if one has seen those movies, one already knows what is going on, and their is no mystery. Also what is with this Wild West style music, did Russians think that the Wild West extended to England in the 1880's as well? I have to admit, one scene of the carriage ride going to Baskerville Hall, reminded me of Sergio Corbucci's The Great Silence.Perhaps a mistake is to watch this Russian Holmes version first, perhaps at the time, the producers of these shows realized that the Hound story is the most famous, and decided it would be better to show first what might not be as familiar, as this I believe was the 6th story. I might be better off to see those other stories first also, as they might be more interesting to me to do so as I may not know what is going to happen. Also being English Speaking, and having heard Holmes always speaking English with an English accent, something that other viewers from other non-English speaking countries who may have heard Rathbone and Cushing dubbed by other actors, might also be a difference.

Hard to find in the US, my DVD was a gift from my sister -- a Slavic Languages professor -- who knows how to find such things. Faithful to the original novel, this probably isn't the best introduction to the series, as Holmes is absent through much of it while Watson investigates alone. With so little Holmes/Watson interaction, some of the appeal must certainly be missing.That said, I very much like how Watson seriously, diligently, and intelligently carries out his investigation, not unlike numerous other successful fictional detectives. Except when tipsy, he is rarely the stereotypically foolish Watson. If I had never heard of Sherlock Holmes I might even have expected Watson himself to solve the mystery. However, because he is so serious it makes his character a bit too dry through much of film; though that in turn makes his actual flashes of foolishness and his reunion with Holmes more effective illustrations of Watson's true character.What was interesting about the supporting characters is that they definitely seem to have more than a little Russian in them, from the humorously extroverted Sir Henry Baskerville to the arch-slavic-tragedian portrayal of Beryl Stapleton. I found it a bit jarring at first, expecting more British reserve in the characters, but eventually just let them be themselves and let myself be entertained. Much of Dartmoor also looks far more Russian than English, but that's only to be expected and easily overlooked.Overall, this is a well done 'Hound', true to the story and true to the characters of Holmes and Watson. I got some hint of Vasili Livanov and Vitali Solomin's vast appeal, but not enough for me to become a wildly enthusiastic myself. At least, not yet. Because that hint is more than enough for me to nag my sister into getting me the rest of the Livanov/Solomin Holmes series. And then we'll see....

I don't know exactly how it came to be that The Hound of the Baskervilles would be the most frequently adapted of A.C. Doyle's stories. But it is so, and after Rathbone, Cushing and Peter Cook, and two years before Ian Richardson, it is Vasili Livanov's turn to don the deerskin cap and disappear for one third of the movie.One of the reasons I find it peculiar that The Hound became the most popular filmic Holmes adaptation is that Holmes is absent for a good chunk of the running time. And while it's an engrossing murder mystery on its own, it so happens that in franchises of this sort people generally come to see the hero being a hero. And one of the flaws of this Russian adaptation is that, unlike Nigel Bruce, Vitali Solomin doesn't have the charismatic presence and weight to carry the movie while Livanov is away.Still, like its predecessors, this sixth entry in the Soviet Sherlock Holmes saga with Vasili Livanov in the titular role, is every bit as stylish, entertaining and endlessly watchable. Exchanging the baroque opulence of London for the rural atmosphere of Devonshire and benefitting from the natural beauty of real locations, The Hound builds and sustains its mystery and suspense even though the novelty of the story has been worn out by now.Excluding the natural flaw of a Sherlock Holmes movie with not enough Sherlock Holmes, the movie has been wisely split up in two parts making the 2.5 hour duration a manageable task. The murder mystery of a demonic hound terrorizing the last heir of the Baskerville family is great and from a technical perspective the movie, even though made for TV, has a lavish cinematic feel.Definitely among the handful best adaptations of The Hound of the Baskervilles.

The movie, as well as others of this series, proves that if you got a talent, you can shoot even if you are somewhat short on means. To shoot this movie, the crew, of course, could not go to some British location, and its London portion was shot in the ancient quarter of Riga. But more than anything, marvelous play of V. Livanov and Co. made it possible to express the spirit of this novel by Arthur Conan Doyle as well as the atmosphere of the 19th century England (which, on the whole, was not the case when the Soviet movie-makers had to deal with American settings.) Unforgettable irony of almost omniscient Sherlock Holmes, Watson's ignorance, bordering on stupidity, charming sagacity of Mrs. Hudson, thick-witted inspector Lestrade - that's how the movie about Sherlock Holmes should look like.