Will Ferrell’s new movie Holmes & Watson savaged by film critics

Will Ferrell’s new movie came out too late to be included in most critics’ “worst films of the year” lists. Otherwise, it would have been at the top.

If you were hoping to escape the summer heat and hide out in a movie theatre instead, there are plenty of great end-of-year flicks to see, but if the reviews for Will Ferrell’s new movie are anything to go by, there’s also one you should definitely avoid.

More than 40 film critics have savaged the comedian’s new movie Holmes & Watson, which hit Australian theatres on Boxing Day.

The film focuses on the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and sidekick John Watson played by Ferrell and John C. Reilly respectively.

The iconic duo are tasked with stopping Moriarty, played by Ralph Fiennes, from assassinating the Queen.

John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell have seen their new movie be universally panned.

News.com.au previously reported it was an “ominous sign” Sony didn’t screen Holmes & Watson for critics before its release (and not in the US either) — and now it’s clear why.

The movie has been panned by almost every critic with one of the most brutal reviews calling it “painfully unfunny”.

“It’s so painfully unfunny we’re not sure it can legally be called a comedy,” Rolling Stone wrote.

“Holmes & Watson is one of those movies that goes beyond unfunny and into a comedy-cubist zone, where jokes are no longer recognisable and laughter is philosophically impossible,” Newsday said.

“Sony knew what would happen when this hit theatres. No word of mouth campaign, whether organic or engineered, was ever going to pop up to influence audiences for this lacklustre comedy,” Den of Geek added.

Other critics kept it simple. The Globe and Mail just called Holmes & Watson was “bad” while the New York Times encouraged people to drink while watching.

“Smuggling in booze to dispel the sense of dull routine could only help,” Ben Kenigsberg wrote.

Watson (John C. Reilly), Queen Victoria (Pam Ferris) and Sherlock Holmes (Will Ferrell) in Holmes & Watson.

Some critics were just sad such a terrible movie was made by Ferrell and Reilly.

“Holmes & Watson is more of a well-meaning misfire than a total train wreck. It’s frustrating mainly because all of these folks can do much better. They can be a lot Daffier,” the Los Angeles Times wrote.

“The cinematic reunion of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, a decade removed from Step Brothers, should be triumphant and hilarious, as opposed to a desperate, sweaty mess,” Slashfilm said.

“There was once a time when Will Ferrell made funny movies,” BluRay.com said.

“An astoundingly lame SNL skit stretched out to excruciating feature length, while wasting a feted cast in the process,” Shaun Munro from Flickering Myth added.