In Defense Of Neo-Sherlock

Yglesias on Holmes:

Some people feel that this action-oriented version of Holmes is untrue to the original. I think this is wrong. The print Holmes is clearly described as an expert singlestick fighter and accomplished barenuckle boxer. He gets into fisticuffs and always wins. Hand-to-hand combat is never the feature of Conan Doyle's stories because it wouldn't be interesting to read a detailed account of beating a guy up with a walking stick. But bringing more emphasis to this kind of thing is exactly what a screen adaptation of a well-known print character should be for--elements of the character that are de-emphasized by the print medium are rightly brought into sharper focus for a movie.

I don't know, I've read some pretty bracing action scenes in the fantasy genre. I don't really object to Sherlock Holmes as an action hero--I just think that there's a lot of this sort of thing. But then, maybe not enough.