Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows

While I may not have liked anything director Guy Ritchie had directed between his smashing debut of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and his 2009 adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, it wasn’t for lack of interest. I found Snatch to be full of contempt, aside from the squeak toy imbibing bulldog and Brad Pitt’s Pikey accent. But the less said about both Swept Away and Revolver the better. Yes, Ritchie’s Madonna years are finally far behind him. While I still need to give RocknRolla a second go, it still seemed to bring a sense of direction for Ritchie and return him to his roots. And if his Holmes sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, is of any indication, he’s here to stay.

With a bigger budget and a far tighter script (courtesy of Michele and Kieran Mulroney), Ritchie and stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law have proven Warner Bros. have a mighty viable property on their hands. While their beloved Harry Potter series has come to a close, it’s nice to see them putting some effort behind a series for the more adult filmgoer. While most sequels tend to try to continually one up the last, it’s a rarity in Hollywood to broaden, deepen, and build upon what’s come before. With a few new cast members along to up the ante as well, it would appear that the Sherlock Holmes films can only continue to improve. I’m sure the two years it took to release a follow up shows a little dedication to the craft more than simply aiming for a cash grab.

It’s 1891 and Dr. Watson (Law) is hard at work on his latest Sherlock Holmes (Downey) adventure novel. Tension has been rising between the French and Germans, and things don’t seem to be gaining any help due to a slew of bombings. Of course, Holmes has pieced together some evidence connecting the bombings to a few circumstantial deaths thanks to a new diet of alcohol, tobacco and cocoa beans. But it’s not until after his beloved Irene Adler’s (Rachel McAdams) “services are no longer required” of the dastardly Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris) that it becomes clear that Holmes may have finally met his match.

After a spectacular fight sequence fending off an assassin attempt of gypsy fortune teller Madam Simza Heron (Noomi Rapace), Holmes must band together with his dear Watson who just wants to enjoy his honeymoon. Meanwhile, keeping the newly Mrs. Watson, Mary (Kelly Reilly), safe is Holmes’ brother Mycroft (the always welcome Stephen Fry). After one of cinema’s most hilarious weddings and a grand train adventure through Brighton, Holmes and Watson set out to track down Simza who may hold the key to finding Moriarty through her brother, Renee. Now the game is set for Holmes & Co. to track down Moriarty before he manages to cause an all out war between France and German while getting some vengeance in the process.

Article Author: Cinenerd

A Utah based writer, born and raised in Salt Lake City, UT for better and worse. Cinenerd has had an obsession with film his entire life, finally able to write about them since 2009, and the only thing he loves more are his wife and their two wiener dogs (Beatrix Kiddo and Pixar Animation). …

Visit Cinenerd's author page — Cinenerd's Blog