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How others will see it. This charming film is packed with gags, many of which appear dangerous, as well as difficult to stage with 1920s technology. The significance of this will be overlooked by most, but the gags themselves will be enjoyed by most fans willing to accept a silent black and white movie.
Certainly, the comedy will be appreciated more than the romance, particularly since the couple involved (Keaton and McGuire) appear to be dimwitted dufuses. McGuire, however, does the only true sleuthing in the film, and it is particularly helpful when the pawn shop worker just happens to see the culprit passing by the store during her brief conversation with him.
How I felt about it. After his days as a silent film star ended, Keaton continued to find Hollywood employment as a gag writer. This was his strength, although in Sherlock Jr. as well as in other films Keaton is able to organize his gangs into a strong story. In fact, it is only fair to state that the film's story requires gags, rather than state that the gags are stitched together by a shallow story.
The story works sufficiently that we are glad to see Keaton win back the love of his impossibly sweet girlfriend. But the gags impress more than story, because they are both clever and inventive. In film circles, the most famous among these has Keaton drenched by a water tank's delivery chute. Keaton fractured his neck during this stunt, but he was able to finish the take.
We can see some of the gags a mile away. Keaton attempts to get his rival to slip on a banana peel, but we know that the gag works better if Keaton forgets about the peel, and slips on it himself. Which is exactly what happens.
But other gags are more involved, such as an instant costume change via a cloth cylinder by a window, or a bridge forded on the backs of two trucks traveling in opposite directions. The cleverness of the film within the film is also amusing. The environments change for the hapless Keaton, who is made to hike deserts, descend cliffs, and escape from lions.
Keaton's alter ego, as a confident and perceptive detective, is the man he hopes to become through his studies. But he'll have to settle instead for the love of McGuire, which proves sufficient for the requisite happy ending.