The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988)

Lack of good storyline.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Being a big fan of S.H. stories both in screen and paper, I admired this edition of the, dare say, best S.H. long story, because of the stunning atmosphere and setting. Jeremy Brett is the true example of how Holmes should be portrayed on screen, but this rendition of Watson by Hardwicke compared to the great David Burke brings a big disappointment. Could be a 9/10, possibly a 10 as it goes for Sherlock Holmes adaptations but the nature of the story sadly makes Watson the protagonist this time.With this Watson, a 7/10 is a fair grade.

For me this is still far and away the best production of The Hound of The Baskervilles, possibly because I still to this day see Jeremy Brett as the great detective, but that apart this adaptation has so much going for it. It has a fine mix of drama, suspense and even humour. Sir Henry Baskerville is perfectly portrayed by Kristoffer Tabori, there is a likability to the character, he's the sympathetic character you take to and fear for. The production values are spot on, the usual costumes and sets of course, but the location work is perfect, you see that Grimpen Mire is a place of natural beauty, but it has an eerie feel which is beautifully captured.Holmes's absence means a greater role for Watson, and Hardwicke does a fantastic job, such an underrated performance throughout the series. Brett is brilliant, he brings the character of Holmes to life. James Faulkner, Ronald Pickup etc support brilliantly, it's such a well acted drama.As for the hound itself, they were wise not to have it in shot for long periods of time, not sure it worked awfully well, and the sound seemed odd. The final attack scene though does work, the build up and tension are well created.Overall, it's a fantastic version. Love it, 9/10

We are drowning in adaptations of the Hound of the Baskervilles, some are better then others, but only one I would class as outstanding, and that is this one. It's all about Jeremy Brett, he was to Sherlock Holmes what David Suchet was to Poirot, he was the defining characterization, he made Holmes real and relevant, and during this particular production I would say he was at the height of his mastery. Supported wonderfully by Edward Hardwicke, who seems to get more screen time then Holmes, he is wonderfully solid. Neil Duncan is great too, good strong scenes between him and Brett when they discuss his skull. In many of the adaptations the hound is the problem, in some it looks like a model, and in others it looks like Scooby Doo, they got it right this time round in this excellent TV movie.

The Hound of the Baskervilles starts late one night at 'Baskerville Hall' as Sir Charles Baskerville (Raymond Adamson) waits outside in his gardens, suddenly he hears a chilling howl coming from the moors... Dr. Mortimer (Neil Duncan) contacts contacts Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) & his assistant Dr. John Watson (Edward Hardwicke) & tells them of Sir Charles untimely death which he feels is suspicious, he talks about a 200 year old legend about a huge demonic hound that has terrorised the Baskerville family & that paw prints were found near Sir Charles body. Dr. Mortimer also says that the last remaining Baskerville Sir Henry (Kristoffer Tabori) is travelling from America to claim his inheritance. Upon arrival Sir Henry receives a threatening letter telling him to stay away from Baskerville Hall which he ignores & together with Dr. Watson & Dr. Mortimer travels to Devon & settle into Baskerville Hall. The list of suspects is long with the servants Mr. (Ronald Pickup) & Mrs. Barrymore (Rosemary McHale) acting strangely & the escaped murderer Selden (William Ilkley) running around the moors...Made for British TV by Granada & directed by Brian Mills this adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles is the second version of this classic tale I have seen this year & both were almost exactly the same. The script by T.R. Bowen based on the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle retains all the basic story elements, it moves along at a nice pace & is involving although if you know anything about the well told tale then nothing here will come as a surprise which isn't a problem with this version in itself it's just that there are so many versions around which I would imagine don't differ that much. Holmes takes a back seat for a large chunk of the film & I thought the ending was somewhat underwhelming & felt a little rushed which was probably down to it's budget & tight TV shooting schedule. The film was obviously shot on location & you couldn't ask for more of the British countryside & the manor house used. The budget probably wasn't as high as the other one I saw as it looks a little basic at times, there is no extravagant production design & everything is kept quite simple yet still maintains it's effectiveness. The Hound itself has a silly green glowing special effect to it & isn't really in the film that much. The acting is strong throughout but I'm not sure about Brett as Holmes, don't really know why but I didn't like him that much. Overall it's a good solid engaging adaptation of what now must surely be a story told far too often as once you've seen one of them there isn't much interest in seeing any other. If you have never seen a Hound of the Baskervilles before than I can easily recommend this one but if you have I can't see the point in sitting through this. Good for Holmes virgins & completest's but old hat if your familiar with the story.