Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Stephen Fry, Paul Anderson, Kelly Reilly, Eddie Marsan
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure
2011

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Watson (Jude Law) team up to face their most dangerous adversary yet- the brilliant criminal Dr. James Moriarty (Jared Harris).

Review:

Tim: I really, really enjoyed what director Guy Ritchie did with Sherlock Holmes, so I was pretty interested to see what he would do with this sequel. The first movie might not have been great, but it was intelligent, thoroughly enjoyable, and overall, a fun, entertaining ride. This sequel has a lot of those same characteristics, but it feels like the whole production was rushed. The movie isn't as powerful or memorable as the first film, and while still a good movie, it's clearly a step down in quality from the first film.

It is very fun to see Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law back as Holmes and Watson. These two actors work so well together, and their chemistry is infectious. I really enjoy watching them on screen, and the fun they have working together translates to the audience. While I felt like their back-and-forth was a bit less effective than in the first film, it's still great fun to watch. Downey is such a terrific choice to play the intellectual yet physical Holmes. It's just entertaining to watch his cocky, brilliant persona on screen. Law plays off his co-star quite well.

I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with Jared Harris as Moriarty. Harris does a good job, but I'm not sure he was the best choice for the role. Moriarty is supposed to be so brilliant, and that just did not come through fully in Harris' performance. The emergence of Moriarty was the #1 aspect of this film I was looking forward to the most, and I felt a bit let down. He is Holmes' greatest nemesis, and I simply never felt that here. We're supposed to feel like Holmes is outmatched, but that does not translate on the screen. I don't want to be too harsh on Harris, but a better actor in this role would have made a huge difference. I also thought Noomi Rapace only gave a decent performance. She has the talent to be a huge star, but her English and her acting still have a ways to develop. She is decent here, but not great.

I like the complex stories this film franchise tells, but I felt just a bit let down with this one. It's certainly complex and keeps you guessing, but when the curtain is pulled back, it felt like the plot was just a bit too pedestrian. It was almost like the script was rushed into production, rather than being fully and intelligently fleshed out. We're kept guessing, but this is due to trickery and holding information back, not because of the brilliance of the plot. Moriarty's big plan just needed to be a bit more exciting and thought-out.

While flawed, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is still a fun adventure movie. There's some fun action sequences, an interesting slow-mo run through the woods as they explode around our heroes, a good deal of back-and-forth between Holmes and Watson, and a twisty plot. It felt like the whole movie was rushed a bit too much, and the quality suffers as a result. Still, this is an entertaining movie, a good sequel, and a film that is certainly worth seeing. I am hoping that this becomes a trilogy, and with a little more time and attention, the third film could certainly improve on this one. While a bit disappointing, this is still a worthwhile sequel.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Sherlock Holmes