Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

This movie was absolutely fantastic. I have been waiting for it for what feels like forever now and it truly did not disappoint. The storyline was clever, the dynamic between Watson and Holmes was charming and beautiful, and the effects were incredible. Honestly, as much of a fan I am of the first movie, its sequel surpassed it and my overall expectation. Some the effects were unnecessary at times, but I really enjoy the style in which these movies are edited. It can be slightly confusing periodically, another reason to rewatch, still pay attention closely. Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr.'s chemistry was compelling and the supporting actors were on par. I laughed, I nearly screamed, and I even cried. Game of Shadows is gripping, exciting, hilarious,and even draws tears. You'll be cheering throughout and satisfied with the end. Too be honest, it is absolutely one of the best movies of this year.

Doesn't matter how you look at it, this movie is darn good fun. I loved it from opening credits to the close. So what if the acting is a bit over the top, so what if there are probably too many explosions and bullets and bombs. The end result is a thoroughly entertaining 2 hours at the movies with popcorn and Pearl and Dean ads. Moriarty is sufficiently creepy and played with restraint, Holmes is completely over the top but for me if its Robert Downey Jr there are no complaints. The story keeps moving and the action is terrific. The story is loosely based on the last book of the Conan Doyle's first series of Holmes stories ending with the famous Reisenbach Falls in Switzerland. It also gives a great image of early 20th century on the brink of the first world war. If you want to enjoy a good story with great imagery and costume then you will enjoy this, if you are looking for Sherlock ( wonderfully called Shirley by Mycroft ) as Conan Doyle intended then you may be disappointed.

While we have new ingredients (= actors/characters) such as the girl formerly having a tattoo and a new bad guy, we also still have our beloved Holmes/Watson duo. And by that I mean the same actors in the role. Jude Law and especially Robert Downey Jr. having a lot of fun again and it shows.

Some other characters return and we have the "vision" mode in the movie again (at least that's what I call it and I'm sure you know what I mean if you've seen the first guy Ritchie Holmes). Making the Holmes movies is not easy. There is not only a rich written history but also quite a few movies. I have to admit that I wasn't thinking of either. Ritchie managed to create a world (especially with the first entry into his Holmes saga), that can be seen as standalone.

So if you liked the first one, you will like this one too. Even if you think you might be fed up by some of the neat tricks he's using or even if you expected Rachel McAdams to be back "big" in this movie too.

As much as I loved the character interactions and insane chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, I was very much let down by Sherlock Holmes when I first saw it a few years ago. It was a really stylish and well-made film, but the storyline bored me to tears. I came in incredibly excited to see it, and left wishing it had ended sooner. With the obvious sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows upon us, I figured I would go in with much lower expectations and brace for something along the same lines.

Europe is at the brink of war, with many little seemingly unconnected events occurring across the nations. Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) believes it to be the work of the brilliant Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris). He enlists the help of his sidekick, Watson (Law), to help him uncover the truth, before it is too late.

With less of a focus on the occult, a stronger plot and a significantly more interesting villain, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows outdoes its predecessor in many respects. It ups the thrills and the action, continues the fun, and delivers one of the better sequel going experiences this year.

Even though the story is a bit wonky in certain respects (more on that in a moment), I feel A Game of Shadows manages to feel a lot more grounded than the original. There is a clear storyline, and an even clearer path of where the film wants to go. It stalls here and there, as I imagined it would, but it never lingers like the original did. The art direction is just as incredible as it was, and the special effects seem to have been improved greatly. Where the first film flopped around, this film picks up the slack.

While Downey Jr. and Law are just as impeccable and well matched as they were the first time round, the film benefits greatly from the addition of Harris as Moriarty. The character's presence was felt throughout the first film, but the film noticeable lost its edge by simply referring to him in passing and hinting at what a sequel could have had in store. Bringing him into the fold, he immediately is tenfold better than Mark Strong ever could have hoped to be. Watching Harris match wits with Downey is simply astounding, and makes for the most wildly enjoyable parts of the film. There is never a dull moment when he is around, and instead of making the film drone on, he invigorates it with an immense amount of energy. Harris knows exactly how to look deceptive, even with a wide grin and dialogue that does not even hint at ulterior motives. His looks are downright terrifying in a lot of instances. This is his first major film role, and I can only hope filmmakers continue using his dastardly skills for antiheroes and villains alike.

I think the film's biggest hurtle, and the one that hurts it the most, is that there are simply too many characters and too many of them did not need to appear in the first place. Rapace's character is nothing more than a plot device, used to connect certain sections together and forgotten almost entirely all too often. The practically blink-and-you- will-miss them moments for Rachel McAdams and Eddie Marsan feel more like Richie peddling to the fans, as opposed to actually serving a real point to the film. It is fun seeing them show up again, but considering they have little to no effect on the plot, they could have easily just never showed up at all. But the far worst offender of not serving any purpose is Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes. He brings a ridiculous amount of humour to the film, and he is a welcome addition on the onset. But as the film progresses, it becomes clear he is merely there simply to make the film even more ludicrous and silly than Downey Jr. makes it. When the inevitable third film drops, I hope they actually use him effectively, instead of making his appearance feel like a mere tease.

What also hurts the film is Richie's incessant need to use slow motion in every action sequence. While it works insanely and surprisingly well for the film's centrepiece involving a foot chase through a forest, it feels like overkill in almost every other instance. We understand from the first film that Holmes likes to evaluate the moves of both his adversaries and himself before he makes them, but watching him plot it out helps drag the film out longer than it needs to be. It is fun and worthwhile when it is used sparingly, or used to draw attention to something specific. But when Richie is one-upping Zack Snyder in the worst possible way, it begs the question of whether he learned any mistakes from the first film or not. At just under 130 minutes, I feel like a good fifteen minutes of slow motion could have been sped up, and would have looked just as great. Hell, Richie potentially could have shown off a bit of his own style too, instead of just what he cribbed from everyone else.

While the film still has its problems, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is an enjoyable ride from start to finish. It maintained my interest, where the first film had me counting the excruciating minutes before it would end. Richie still has a lot to learn about as a filmmaker (and even more as a man who creates his own style instead of Tarantino-ing from others), he does know how to make a crafty film. Now if he can stop hinting at future installments and just give us a film that sticks to being about the story at hand, then maybe we might just get the perfect rendition of this legendary detective.

8/10.

Holmes and Watson battle Moriarty.

I loved it, it is an absolutely bonkers, of the wall thrill ride, and purists of the traditional Holmes stories will probably be appalled, but if you're after two hours of intense fun, and high energy excitement, you will love it.

The cast are tremendous, Downy, Law and Harris are all first rate, hard to put a pin between the trio, and ten years on, the special effects are still jaw dropping.

It's good fun as well, several laughs, I loved Downey's various disguises, reminiscent of Rathbone.

I love how some elements are thrown in, the events of Reichenbach, the appearance of Moran etc, although you can't really think Conan Doyle would ever have imagined most of the events here.

Rip roaring good fun, 9/10.