It would have been fascinating to see Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce switch roles! This film presents a scenario where we encounter a seemingly inept "Holmes" (Michael Caine), praised as a detective by almost everyone except for the actual intelligence driving things. That’s “Dr. Watson” (Ben Kingsley), who serves as the patient, thoughtful force operating behind the scenes. Eventually tired of “Holmes'” drunken behavior, “Watson” decides to write about the "Crime Doctor" instead. Not only do the publishers reject this notion, but so too does the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Nigel Davenport) and “Insp. Lestrade” (Jeffrey Jones) when they require assistance in investigating the theft of Bank of England five-pound notes. Finding no one receptive to the doctor’s ideas, he must convince his former, inebriated and impoverished partner to return to 221B. Only then can they resume their deductive reasoning – and receive payment (in ten-pound bills!). The investigation leads them to the picturesque Lake District, where they quickly discover a criminal mastermind is behind this nefarious act, but what are their prospects of stopping his plan? What succeeds here is the genuinely enjoyable rapport between Caine and Kingsley. Caine delivers a strong performance as the inebriated detective, and Kingsley matches him with his clever responses. The script provides opportunities for some sharp exchanges between them; the humor avoids being overly broad, and Jones occasionally appears to offer a brief pause before their next escapade. Is it suspenseful? Not particularly, especially since we soon figure out who's manipulating events, but that’s not really the point as this is primarily an entertaining adventure featuring a cast clearly enjoying themselves. It's remarkable how effective a simple insult like "idiot" can be with the appropriate emphasis! A thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Source on TMDB