The latest film headlined by comedic actor Will Ferrell is having some trouble with both critics and the moviegoing public.
The usually popular star is currently headlining “Holmes & Watson” with John C. Reilly, his frequent collaborator.
The pair play the unique and brilliant Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson in an attempted satire of the classic detective stories from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The stories also provide the basis for the CBS drama series “Elementary” as well as the Robert Downey Jr. franchise — which has thus far consisted of two hit films.
“Holmes and Watson” has been blasted by critics and earned a rare six percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Out of the 32 reviews that have been counted — as of this writing — only two have been positive.
The studio behind “Holmes & Watson,” Columbia Pictures, likely knew it had a turkey on its hands: It did not screen the movie for critics in advance of its release, which is typically something that nearly all major studio releases do.
Among the most surprising complaints from some critics have to do with the out-of-place and anti-Trump humor in the flick.
The film includes a reference to “fake news” at one point — and even introduces its own version of “Make America Great Again” hats. They instead say, “Make England Great Again.”
The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck said the anachronistic humor in the movie, especially the political barbs, “fall utterly flat.”
The political humor should come as no surprise, since Will Ferrell is both the star and a producer on the movie. Ferrell’s films have included anti-Republican humor before — “The Campaign” and “The Nice Guys” — and he often stumps for Democrats.
He even went to Georgia and made door-to-door visits to folks to try and get Stacey Abrams elected governor this year.
The moviegoing public has not liked “Holmes & Watson” much either. Its approval rating from voting audience members on Rotten Tomatoes is only 25 percent.
Its rating on Cinemascore — which asks opening weekend audiences to grade a movie — is also only a D-plus.
In terms of box office, “Holmes & Watson” doesn’t have much to brag about either.
Opening on Christmas Day, the film brought in only $6.4 million. While it likely will earn its production budget back — $42 million — “Holmes and Watson” is definitely not on track to earn the kinds of money that previous movies starring Ferrell and Reilly did. “Step Brothers” earned over $100 million in 2008 — and “Talladega Nights” earned over $140 million in 2006.
The difference between this film and those movies?
One major difference is this: Those movies did not go out of their way to attack conservative moviegoers.
Check out the trailer for “Holmes & Watson” below:
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