Sherlock Holmes fans: Who's the best Moriarty?

[godisawesome]

We're having a discussion on our podcast of two different adapatations of "The Final Problem" in different franchises, a "Franchise War," if you will. This week, we're looking at "The Reichenbach Fall" from BBC's Sherlock and the Guy Richie film "Game of Shadows." What we're focusing on is their adapatations of Moriarty.

Now, don't fell limited to just those two versions, since my favorite version of the character is Ratigan from The Great Mouse Detective, but who's the best Moriarty in your opinion?

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Eric Porter in the British TV series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, all of which starred the fantastic Jeremy Brett as IMO the best Holmes ever. Porter was absolutely chilling.

Look at the interplay between these two (the comments reflect how highly thought of both portrayals are),

[YT]JsiE8ABiztU[/YT]

 

[Deck Rickard]

Huh. Ratigan might actually be the best Moriarty. I love BBC's Sherlock, but the show's take on Moriarty is its weakest spot. He's pretty good in The Reichenbach Fall but all of his other appearances made me want to scream. Andrew Scott always felt miscast to me. He's not intimidating, he's not creepy, he's just... there. I don't know. He almost feels like a slightly less annoying version of Eisenberg's Lex Luthor.

Jared Harris was just so... meh. Which really didn't surprise me. When they announced him as Moriarty, it was such a letdown. They were teasing some big name and then... they cast him. Also, the movie sucked.

I know I watched a bunch of the Rathbone films when I was a kid but I honestly can't remember whether their version of Moriarty was any good. And I don't really remember anything about Moriarty in Without a Clue other than the dimwitted Sherlock in that story (incorrectly) deducing that his real name was Arty Morty.

 

[Ywairddhin]

did you watch the Elementary? so, where Watson is a woman and Moriarty is an OMG woman! honestly, I didn't want to watch this story but nevertheless, it turned out to be really awesome. Natalie Dormer played this role and I liked it.

 

[C. Lee]

I'll put this one in spoiler tags, because you don't find out he is Moriarty until the last scene.....[BLACKOUT]an underappreciated and under seen Holmes movie is YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES (1985)...actor Anthony Higgins plays Professor Rathe/Moriarty.[/BLACKOUT]

 

[Doug_Moore]

Jared Harris

 

[Deck Rickard]

I'll put this one in spoiler tags, because you don't find out he is Moriarty until the last scene.....[BLACKOUT]an underappreciated and under seen Holmes movie is YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES (1985)...actor Anthony Higgins plays Professor Rathe/Moriarty.[/BLACKOUT]

Yes! I forgot about that one. I agree. He's the best version. And that movie is amazing. I feel like Batman Begins, Casino Royale and some of the other "superhero begins" style films owe a lot to that movie. Visually it's stunning (even the special effects hold up pretty well today) and the actors in it are all spot-on. They really cover all the bases, even providing a reason for why Holmes is so asexual later in life.

 

[craster]

The one in BBC's Sherlock!

 

[Deck Rickard]

I thought of another TERRIBLE version... Moriarty in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I feel like this one is worth bringing up because the comic book version of that story featured a GREAT take on Moriarty. But that movie butchered the story and all of the characters.

 

[gaffer]

Another vote for Eric Porter. He was an excellent Moriarty.

 

[Schlosser85]

Eric Porter in the British TV series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, all of which starred the fantastic Jeremy Brett as IMO the best Holmes ever. Porter was absolutely chilling.

Look at the interplay between these two (the comments reflect how highly thought of both portrayals are),

[YT]JsiE8ABiztU[/YT]

Couple funny thoughts, the actor playing Holmes almost has a more typical sinister/villainous look/voice/demeanor than the one playing Moriarty, yet he also is vaguely reminiscent of Benedict Cumberbatch.

 

[Obi-Ron]

Holodeck Moriarty was actually smart enough to realize he was fictional.

 

[Boom]

I ended up really liking Andrew Scott's Moriarty.