Im Tal der Angst

I like all four of the Burbank Holmes animated adaptations. They are less than perfect, but even with their foibles they are well worth watching. The Valley of Fear has the same general problems as the rest of the adaptations, stiff character designs as well as some awkward camera angles, sluggish pacing and voice acting from the supporting voice actors that is on the monotone side. However, the pros are also similar in the four adaptations. Here like in Sign of Four there are handsome backgrounds, that capture the Victorian mood perfectly. The music has the right hauntingly beautiful edge while not overbearing the dialogue in the way The Baskerville Curse did. The dialogue is intelligent and thought-provoking, remarkably very like Conan Doyle's writing. The source material for The Valley of Fear is not as strong as the other three adaptations, but again the adaptation does a laudable job adapting it, sticking to the details and spirit of the book while not letting the mystery and suspense drop. Peter O'Toole and Earle Cross are splendid as Holmes and Watson respectively. All in all, has a lot to like about it still if imperfect. 7/10 Bethany Cox