hans.gerwitz

True to my geek nature, I’ve always iden­tified more with intel­lectual protag­o­nists than with the phys­i­cally powerful. Hollywood seems to prefer the “mad scientist” flavor of smart guy, with either an anti­social or self-​​absorbed. It seems the stereo­typical genius must have such a rich mental world that they prefer it to reality, or are at least easily distracted by the goings-​​on of their own thoughts.

I want my heroes to be role models, though, and my own path to self-​​actualization calls for more focus and appli­cation than expansion of knowledge or practice of reason. Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is remem­bered fondly as a disci­plined wielder of thought.

Guy Ritchie managed to preserve that essence in Sherlock Holmes. Maybe credit is due to Robert Downey Jr., since Tony Stark is a similar hero genius. Regardless, it’s a pleasure to see the prac­ticed employment of intel­li­gence glorified in public enter­tainment (if not politics).