Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes drops his deerstalker cap and cape

The first trailer for Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes update starring Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson is online and it looks, well, lacking. Watch it HERE.

Not lacking in excitement; there are more explosions and fist fights here than the average Jason Statham movie. Yet one vital ingredient appears to be missing – Sherlock Holmes is not wearing his deerstalker cap and Mac Farlane cape coat.

Apparently none of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes books specifically state the great detective ever donning a deerstalker cap. However he wore a cape, as many stylish Victorian gentleman would have at the time, especially for travelling.

Obviously Guy Ritchie is steering his Holmes away from the traditional, stuffy persona associated with Basil Rathbone (movies, 1939-1946) or Jeremy Brett (British TV, 1984–1994). Being as this uptight representation is hardly considered accurate, certainly with Holmes’ often disheveled appearance eluded to in the books, this may be no bad decision.

However the Mac Farlane cape really would be the most appropriate attire for Holmes as he journeys about damp and dismal London in a hansom cab. Dropping the deerstalker for an informal bowler, tweed cap, homburg, wideawake or even a bare head of hair (never!) is one thing, and Ritchie has been candid about this for months – but no Sherlock Holmes’ cape? Surely that’s a revolution too far.

Sherlock Holmes has a Christmas 2009 release date.