Jude Law thinks filthy language, homo-erotic overtones and bare-knuckle fighting are "quintessential parts" of 'Sherlock Holmes'.

The 36-year-old actor - who plays Holmes' faithful sidekick Dr. Watson in Guy Ritchie's new adaptation of the classic detective tale - doesn't think Hollywood writers sexed up the script.

He said: "The physicality, the bare-knuckle fighting, the martial arts are all hinted at in the books. We just hold a magnifying glass over them.

"A word that author Arthur Conan Doyle uses an awful lot is 'apprehended'. As in, 'Holmes and Watson apprehend the villain.' We get to show the apprehension."

When researching his character, Law turned to 70s TV series 'The Odd Couple' for inspiration.

He explained: "There are many duos we wanted to draw from. Something as eccentric as 'The Odd Couple' to 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid', 'Withnail and I' and 'Laurel and Hardy'.

"The friendship between Holmes and Watson is the kind of friendship you can only have with someone of the same sex, a person you adore but who infuriates you."

Robert Downey Jr. - who plays the title character - found his inspiration in Arthur Conan Doyle's original text, and now considers himself something of a 'Sherlock Holmes' expert.

He added to the USA Today newspaper: "Initially, we were just infusing the dialogue with Doyle-isms. Now we tend to speak a little more on his behalf. Truth be told, we have been working our butts off. We've been at it for a long, long, long time."

(China Daily/Agencies May 7, 2009)