As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” right? That must be Guy Ritchie’s mantra, as the sequel to his Holmes hit movie from two years ago is as light, flighty and inconsequential as its predecessor. If there is any real improvement worth mentioning, it’s that Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows boasts a better villain and has greater scope than the original. Also, Stephen Fry has a small role, and a little bit of Fry goes a long way.
Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) is hot on the trail of his nemesis, Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), an esteemed academic and criminal mastermind. Although right-hand man Watson (Jude Law) is getting married soon, Holmes manages to draw his sidekick into his dangerous investigation as they begin to unravel a plot worthy of the greatest megalomaniacal movie villains. During their attempts to stop Moriarty’s plans from actualising, they also meet up with a gypsy (Noomi Rapace) whose brother is somehow involved in the professor’s plans.
Moriarty is, as Holmes fans have often stated, a solid foil for Holmes. As played by Mad Men’s Jared Harris, the professor is cultured, coldly intelligent and determined to see his plans through. With one or two exceptions Harris nearly underplays the character, making him seem even more threatening. Downey Jr is his familiar self as Holmes, sometimes seeming to channel the Johnny-Depp-is-Jack Sparrow school of acting. Happily, Law’s Watson seems more actively involved with the events this time round.
As required by its type, the film is fast paced and peppered with humour in between things blowing up and people being shot at. There’s a lot that blows up, and there’s lots of shooting, and in all of it Holmes and Watson exchange some delicious double entendres (remember the trailer for the first film? You know what I mean). A Game of Shadows is fittingly drained of primary colours, thereby enhancing its semi-steampunk appeal, while Ritchie exploits his slowed down action techniques repeatedly. The sound design is either superb or ridiculous, depending on the extent to which you can tolerate Ritchie’s excessive kineticism.
Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) is hot on the trail of his nemesis, Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), an esteemed academic and criminal mastermind. Although right-hand man Watson (Jude Law) is getting married soon, Holmes manages to draw his sidekick into his dangerous investigation as they begin to unravel a plot worthy of the greatest megalomaniacal movie villains. During their attempts to stop Moriarty’s plans from actualising, they also meet up with a gypsy (Noomi Rapace) whose brother is somehow involved in the professor’s plans.
Moriarty is, as Holmes fans have often stated, a solid foil for Holmes. As played by Mad Men’s Jared Harris, the professor is cultured, coldly intelligent and determined to see his plans through. With one or two exceptions Harris nearly underplays the character, making him seem even more threatening. Downey Jr is his familiar self as Holmes, sometimes seeming to channel the Johnny-Depp-is-Jack Sparrow school of acting. Happily, Law’s Watson seems more actively involved with the events this time round.
As required by its type, the film is fast paced and peppered with humour in between things blowing up and people being shot at. There’s a lot that blows up, and there’s lots of shooting, and in all of it Holmes and Watson exchange some delicious double entendres (remember the trailer for the first film? You know what I mean). A Game of Shadows is fittingly drained of primary colours, thereby enhancing its semi-steampunk appeal, while Ritchie exploits his slowed down action techniques repeatedly. The sound design is either superb or ridiculous, depending on the extent to which you can tolerate Ritchie’s excessive kineticism.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is easily the equal of the first film, and should have no trouble pleasing fans of the first outing. If a popcorn driven, easily digestible detective story with some considerable fireworks is all you want, A Game of Shadows awaits – as long as popcorn, detective thrills and fireworks really are all you want. There’s precious little more to the film than that.
