Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape Review

Sherlock Holmes is a character that has taken on many, many iterations but have you've ever seen Holmes and Watson depicted as a dog and a cat? Enter: Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape from Shout! Factory Kids. This new movie hits DVD and Digital platforms March 23rd and I'm sharing my thoughts in a no-spoiler review; breaking down the storyline, and providing an age recommendation since the film is "not rated".

Disclaimer: I was sent copy of Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape for free for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape Arrives on DVD & Digital March 23rd | Movie Info & Review

Calling all sleuths! Shout! Kids will bring the exciting, family-friendly animated tale Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape to DVD and digital platforms on March 23.

​In this fun twist on a Sherlock Holmes tale, the main characters are animals, with Holmes as a dog, and Watson as a cat!


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Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape | Movie Synopsis

In the late 19th century, Mack, a heroic outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor, was loved and respected by the people.

When the world’s greatest dog-tective, Sherlock Holmes, assisted in catching Mack, the people were angry with him for arresting their hero!

But four years later, Mack has escaped from prison. While Sherlock is on the case to recapture Mack, he discovers the heartbreaking reason behind the outlaw’s escape, and decides to let him fulfill his final wish before Mack’s voluntary surrender to the police.

​However, everyone’s plans change when Mack’s daughter is kidnapped. Sherlock must employ all his wits if he is to rescue Mack’s daughter and save the day.


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Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape | Official Trailer

Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape | My Review

Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape presents a new twist on two beloved characters; Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they are a dog and a cat, but this new film perfectly showcases the two personalities audiences love.

Holmes is still is at odds with the police as they want to do things their way and he of course wants to do things his way and Watson still works to keep him grounded but ends up going along with his plans (even if they are a bit out of the box).


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The Plot

The film revolves around Holmes and Watson trying to catch a known thief, Mack. First they are trying to catch him for crimes he committed, then they are trying to catch him for having escaped from jail.

However, things aren't always so black and white and Holmes for his part is trying to rectify some regrets he has from the first capturing of Mack.

The storyline is complex and might be hard for younger children to follow.

The film jumps 4 years and even I didn't catch it at first, there was no "4 Years Later" title card and you only become privy to it once a character mentions that it has been 4 years.

Another thing that may confuse younger children is the character that is at first painted as the "bad guy" isn't quite as he seems.  Holmes (our obvious "good guy") is helping him for a large part of the movie, so it may make for complicated conversations between younger children and caregivers as to why the "good guy" would help a "bad guy".

Speaking of Holmes, he his same rambling self and as he works through cases and connects the clues, he speaks very quickly. These scenes may fly right over a younger child's head as they won't be able to keep up with the twists and turns in the explanations Holmes presents.

The Animation

Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape is from the Hong Kong animation production company, SIMAGE. 


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The "Not Rated" Rating

Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape features moments of peril, some hand to hand combat scenes, chase scenes and gun use.

​While this film is "not rated" I would say this film falls in line with those that are rated PG.

Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape Age Recommendation: 7+

Final Thoughts

Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape is classically Holmes while it also does a great job at gearing the character for kids (he is a dog after all).

This film is at times dialogue heavy but it has plenty of action and even some humor peppered in through out.

For children who enjoy reading mystery solving stories, Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape will make for a great choice your next movie night!

Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape is available on DVD and Digital March 23rd!

About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform Media Company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s entertainment offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast entertainment distribution network which delivers culturally relevant programming, movie and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America and across multiple platforms. Shout! Factory owns and operates Shout! Studios, Scream Factory, Shout! Factory Kids, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and Shout! Factory TV. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.