Reel Critics:

Hollywood seems to be on a mission to manufacture serial movie franchises based on newly created “Supermen.� Such is the case in the latest version of the venerable “Sherlock Holmes� tales. Director Guy Ritchie takes the cerebral English detective and turns him into a brawling, wise-cracking action hero who adds death-defying stunts to the logical analysis that made him famous.

This turns Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character into a rowdy variation of the original concept. But Robert Downey Jr. brings total competence and credibility to the wild quirks of the newly buffed Holmes on fire. He can just as easily punch your lights out as solve a complicated mystery.

Jude Law plays his proper sidekick as a totally energized Dr. Watson. Rachel McAdams is the babe who provides the snappy love interest along with some extra twists and turns to the story.

The state-of-the-art CGI effects are upfront, loud and breathtaking. There’s a good measure of mystical mumbo jumbo behind a super villain who wants to control the world. Adventures in Victorian England are transformed into a “Mission Impossibleâ€� level of fantastic chase scenes and hair-raising escapes. Add to this a great deal of intelligent banter and lightning fast plot changes. You end up with a top-notch entertainment that’s going to make a ton of money.

The good, bad and boring of films

If “Dancing with Avatarsâ€� isn’t your cup of tea, here’s a quick recap of some other new releases:

‘It’s Complicated’

“It’s Complicatedâ€� is about preposterously privileged Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep hooking up after 10 years of divorce. Baldwin must have amnesia â€� he’s forgotten his wife as well as his shirt. To distract her from the chubby ex-hubby, our Martha Stewart clone decides she needs an even more ridiculously huge kitchen. Enter architect Steve Martin, who awaits her attentions with Botox’d breath. Streep is luminous in this mildly amusing fantasy that will leave you yawning â€� er, yearning â€� for a chocolate croissant.

‘Nine’

“Nine� used up all its lives more than 20 years ago as a Broadway musical, with no memorable music or lyrics to make it worthwhile as a movie. But Rob Marshall (“Chicago�) tries to give us the old razzle dazzle with a bevy of gorgeous actresses and Daniel Day-Lewis.

Day-Lewis is a famous director going through a creative block and a mid-life crisis. He thinks about the significant women in his life â€� and each gets her own musical number. But choreography and loud singing can’t make up for substance (or Day-Lewis’ distracting accent). Marion Cotillard and Penélope Cruz are standouts. Everyone else is merely dressed to the nines.

‘A Single Man’

Finally, a movie with both substance and style thanks to the directorial debut of designer Tom Ford and star Colin Firth. Set in 1965, Firth gives a beautifully nuanced portrait of a gay man struggling after the loss of his partner.

With outstanding support from Julianne Moore, it’s a gentle essay about love, loneliness and the ironies of life.

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company.