Beginning with the usual explanation/apology as to why Holmes exists in the 'modern' day, the film has the character travel to Washington to help solve where a British Secret Service agent hid a precious microfilm. It's not exactly Conan Doyle but it's very fast moving and sharply written.

Unfortunately there are not many moments of atmosphere and the film is blandly shot like any other 40s movie and doesn't affect an air of mystery. Watson is a bit more of a comical buffoon than usual, but I find it entertaining even if it doesn't fit the original image of the character.

The patriotic speech at the end (typical of the modern, WWII Sherlock Holmes movies) does feel tacked on and is pretty damn unsubtle.