I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

What begins as a feel-good-human-interest story turns into a mystery, then a tragedy, and ultimately an outrage.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

A few words on this adaptation of Hound, which seems to get mixed reviews: it does have its weaknesses. There are some lovely shots of moorlands but they are occasionally interspersed at odd moments, not exactly where you would expect establishing shots. The film does give the impression of a low budget in this regard, as well as in the fact that special effects seem limited, especially concerning the titular dog. When Seldon is attacked by the dog, if you're watching carefully, you'll catch footage of Sir Henry's attack. But there is a great amount of period visual detail evoking Victorian England that helps make up for the shortcomings.Performances are generally excellent. Although some say Jeremy Brett's health was already effecting his performances by this time (this was one of the middle installments of his tenure as Holmes), I just watched this film again recently and don't see it. Just as in the story, Holmes is largely out of the picture while Watson stays with Sir Henry at Baskerville Hall, but there are some really lovely and clever inserts giving us fleeting glimpses of Holmes' activities and clues of what is to come, and whenever he is on camera, Brett shines. I love the excitement in his voice when Dr. Mortimer, upon meeting Holmes at Grimpen, asks if he is any closer to solving the case and if there is indeed a hound, and his simple answers: "I am. There is." The moment is played perfectly. The early scenes at Baker Street, with Holmes and Watson examining Mortimer's stick and Mortimer asking for a cast of Holmes "dolichocephalic skull", are equally delightful. Listen for Brett's signature wonderful laugh. "Behave and sit down, Dr. Mortimer". The demanding role of Dr. Watson is here ably filled by Edward Hardwicke. Some prefer David Burke, whom Hardwicke replaced in this series, but I find Hardwicke to be splendid and quite convincing as Holmes' likable, solid but sensitive gentleman companion. He does a good job of holding the fort in Holmes' absence. Other standout performances include Alastair Duncan as Dr. Mortimer, an eccentric physician and scientist, who shares a good chemistry in scenes with Dr. Watson. Watch them when Watson comes upon Mortimer's paleontological dig site on the moors. Also, James Faulkner has a strong presence as Stapleton; Ronald Pickup makes the small role of Barrymore, the Baskerville butler, surprisingly full and warm; and keep your eye out for Bernard Horsfall, as Frankland, a colorful local astronomer--a very fun performance. Kristopher Tabori is quite solid as Sir Henry Baskerville, a man who has spent most of his life in America but is trying to be English again. The proliferation of clues and the story structure is generally handled well, although one or two sequences are strangely short, making it seem rather choppy. Some say the pace is too slow but I don't especially mind. I think the movie works well in terms of pacing when you let it soak in. It does work gradually but there are moments of genuine Gothic atmosphere. There isn't much action; it's more of a suspense piece and, in keeping with the novel, there's plenty of talking, meal time scenes, etc. I think it has an episodic quality and this, too, is in keeping with the novel, as much of Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles is told through diary entries and letters of Dr. Watson and it was originally published serially. I think if you let it unfold on its own terms, not expecting wall-to-wall breathless excitement, it works pretty well, although it could be that a mini-series format would suit this novel quite well. It also true that music is used minimally. This works at times and may sap the movie of energy at others. As Patrick Gowers' scores for this series are always wonderful, the music is somewhat missed, but I can also see points at which the eerie silence of the remote moorlands is an atmospheric asset. It's definitely a deliberate choice not to be heavy-handed with music but to let a sense of ambiance in and allow quiet to do much of the work. And again, the filming locations for Grimpen are beautiful as is the gorgeous house used for Baskerville Hall. The locations are full of Gothic atmosphere and used very well. I enjoy just seeing Baskerville Hall on camera and getting some of those lovely nature shots. Dr. Watson describes "the beauties of the moor in autumn" and we can see what he means--beautiful.Overall, this film is highly recommended for fans of the Brett series and of Holmes, especially if you're happy with a low-key, quiet movie that is engaging and has rewards for people are patient with it and let it soak in. And do expect it to be a somewhat low-budget TV film. It's 1980s English TV. It is what it is. For newcomers to the series, The Sign of Four would be recommended first of the feature films, as it's exciting and spirited and a good adventure mystery. Hound of the Baskervilles may be better for when you already love the series and want some more of it to savor on a quiet evening. Like any series, it obviously works better when you're invested in the characters. It's not a perfect movie but along with being based upon a truly classic tale, it's very good for its time and place, with fine acting, filming locations, and photography-- and added pleasure for dog lovers!

Hound of the Baskervilles, The (1988)*** (out of 4) The number of adaptations Arthur Conan Doyle's novel The Hound of the Baskervilles has received over the years must make it one of the most popular. Some might say it's because the novel is so easy to put on screen while I've read a few who said it's because the story is more horror-like. Whatever the reason this one here features Jeremy Brett as Holmes and Edward Hardwicke as Watson and they try to protect Sir Charles Baskerville (Raymond Adamson) from the deadly curse of the hound. Many Holmes fans claim this is the best version of Hound but I personally wouldn't go that far. While there's a lot to enjoy here I still think the Rathbone and Cushing versions are better. I think the biggest problem I had with this one was its rather slow pacing that really made the 100-minute running time feel longer. The strange thing about this version is that they actually expand all the early stuff without Holmes so this keeps everyone's favorite mystery solver on the back burner until around thirty-minutes left in the movie. Hardwicke does a nice job in the role of Watson but I think he was a tad bit too dry at times so a lively performance might have helped the film move a little better. I really didn't care too much for Adamson in his role and I felt Alastair Duncan was a little weak as Mortimer. As for Brett, he's a favorite to many people and I'll admit that I found him to be a very intelligent Holmes. That's always the most important part to whoever plays the character so Brett had no trouble at making you believe he could be as wise of a person needed for Holmes. The atmosphere is rather thick throughout and this includes the nice ending. The production design is quite nice throughout, which is another plus.

This was a very fine adaptation of a great book. True it does start off slowly, like the book, and I don't think it is quite as good as 1987's Sign of Four. That was creepy, suspenseful, and featured a wonderfully understated performance from the late great John Thaw. The minor negatives aside, this is a conveniently faithful and suspenseful adaptation.It does benefit from fine camera work, wonderful scenery and costumes, and the music score was superb. And there are some genuinely creepy moments, in particular the opening and any other scene with the very scary looking Hound. It isn't all creepy though. There is a very charming ad libbing moment between Holmes and Watson, that was really nice to see.And the acting was great, especially Jeremy Brett as Holmes. Despite the fact that he was ill during production, he still gave a stellar turn as always in the role I remember him by most. Brett was a great actor, and it was a real shame when he died; I will always consider him as the definitive Holmes, with his gritty baritone and towering presence Brett was perfect as Holmes. Edward Hardwicke as Dr Watson is a really nice contrast, and their chemistry is evident here. The supporting performances were sterling, worth of note were James Faulkener and Ronald Pickup.All in all, while not as good as Sign of Four, it was a very atmospheric and faithful adaptation. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I think I was ten when I first read this novel. It was fascinating, brilliant and exciting,it became one of my favourites from Conan Doyle.I really liked the Granada version of it and the Granada Holmes series too.The studio fulfilled a hard task by remaining faithful to the original stories, and the result is:many-many fans of the series all over the world. But the success mostly depended on the wonderful cast. For me Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke were not playing Holmes and Watson, they simply identified themselves with the characters.They share a unique, noble friendship which you cannot find in today's movies.Though Holmes is sometimes rude and impatient with Watson, you can always sense this deep sympathy between them.Brett's Holmes is a cool, elegant and eccentric detective, master of some martial arts, who has all-embracing knowledge.He calls his method deduction: he examines everything thoroughly and completes the puzzle.It is really sad that Jeremy Brett died and the series had to be ended. I liked his Holmes very much. I read many interviews with him and these show a charming, friendly man with a great sense of humor (and he was handsome too!). Thank you very much, Granada Studios. And above all: thank you, Mr. Brett.