Post-Modern Adaptations that have the hero renounce his character

When I reflected on Mr Holmes it was an enjoyable film although it had only the bare minimum of Holmesian flavour unlike the modern reboot with Cumberbatch. I wish that there had been more moments like when Holmes used his famous scanning powers to deduce where the mother had been that day, for example.

But aside from that, something I noticed that intrigued me, was that it seems to be one of a growing number of modern retellings that have an established hero who is decidedly atypical learn some lesson about how he is meant to be more 'normal'.

Nolan's Dark Knight saga leaps to mind, where Batman's great triumph isn't defeating Bane (which he doesn't even get to do) but simply getting over his desire for revenge and finding a girlfriend. Similarly a lot of emphasis in the new Doctor Who series has been on the Doctor learning from humans and being less alien.

I'm not sure why, but this trend bothers me a little bit. As silly as it sounds it seems like a weird anti-exceptionalistic stance. I like the old-fashioned idea of heroes who are by nature a little apart from us. Otherworldly, aspirational figures. Rather than being nebbish, obsessive characters who need to be more like us.

In that way I like the Cumberbatch and even Downey adaptations, where Holmes' quirks are if anything accentuated further but don't get in the way of his friendships or doing the right thing.


I suspect the problem is that you have too many paperclips up your nose