kevin c
Movie night with Gertie.This is good fun, but not quite on a par with the first outing. Even my 9-year old daughter although entertained, said she preferred the original.
HotToastyRag
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. While I still maintain that the films would have been more enjoyable if the casting were reversed, the way each character is written is cemented even further in this second installment. Robert Downey Jr. is the eccentric detective, and Jude Law is the boring, superfluous straight man who's consistently annoyed by his partner's antics. The setting for this film is Jude Law's wedding to Kelly Reilly. In the art of storytelling, when a character is married the audience is usually supposed to see that his or her journey is complete and their usefulness to the plot is over. So, Jude Law's character is viewed as even more boring and superfluous!As Jude and Kelly are supposed to be enjoying their honeymoon, the famed villain Moriarty, played by Jared Harris, attacks, leaving Bob to save the day, and leaving Jude to continuously complain that he'd rather be enjoying his wife than fighting bad guys. Still, if you liked the first film, Sherlock Holmes, you'll probably like the sequel. The action-comedies are pretty similar, and director Guy Ritchie returns with his slow-motion action scenes. These aren't my favorite Sherlock Holmes films, but they're not terrible either. I just would have preferred Jude Law as the lead.
Python Hyena
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011): Dir: Guy Ritchie / Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris, Rachel McAdams: Entertaining sequel to the 2009 hit. It addresses trickery and intellect as Sherlock Holmes always has every move mapped out before they commit. His partner, Dr. Watson is getting married but Holmes interferes in that when attempts are made on their lives. Director Guy Ritchie is backed with intense action and a plot that travels Germany and Switzerland. The opening effectively cuts a previous tie and it opens to a payoff that is often clever including a brilliant conclusion that contains the trademark humour. Robert Downey Jr as Holmes is clever with amusing disguises and an extreme sense of wit. Jude Law as Watson must put his honeymoon reluctantly and suddenly on hold while he bails Holmes out of certain death. Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty is the film's villain using bombs like they are toys to be wound at will and set loose. He is every bit as clever as Holmes as they nearly match up but Holmes will ultimately have the last laugh in an amusing final scene. The only weak role is Noomi Rapace as a gypsy whose brother is missing and Moriarty is linked to it. While her role thankfully avoids being a romantic prop, it is still lifeless nonetheless. Rachel McAdams is featured in the effective opening where she is poisoned, which is actually a shame since she brings much to the table. While the first film breathed new life into the classic character, this film is pure entertainment that is a game of shadows where the audience is delightfully tricked. Score: 8 ½ / 10
CinemaClown
Despite making the right move of heading into the darker territory, the follow-up chapter to Sherlock Holmes fails to capitalise on the excellent platform provided by its predecessor and is a highly disappointing sequel that presents a downgrade in each storytelling element, tries too hard to be funny, and is also marred by its poor rendition of Holmes' arch-enemy.Following the events of the first film, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows continues the adventures of Detective Holmes & his companion, Dr. Watson, as they travel across Europe in a race to prevent their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty, from executing his sinister plot of starting a global war, only to find that their enemy is always one step ahead.Directed by Guy Ritchie, A Game of Shadows features more style & visual flair than its already impressive predecessor but fails to add anything of substance to its story or characters. Art direction is incredibly alluring, Camera-work adds a few more tricks up its sleeve but the use of slow-motion shots borders on excessive, Editing is terrible while Hans Zimmer's score is very much a rehash of the original.Coming to the performances, Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law reprise their respective roles of Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson and while their chemistry works, their performance was much better in the last picture. The new additions include Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace & Stephen Fry and all of them disappoint for Harris' Moriarty isn't intimidating at all, Rapace just wanders around while Fry is annoying at times.On an overall scale, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is inferior on all levels for this sequel completely fails to build on the solid foundation of its predecessor, is tedious to sit through, offers nothing captivating enough to keep the interest alive, and despite the modest expectations, fails to recreate the magic of the original. Putting more emphasis on action than its plot or characters, A Game of Shadows is an inferior, insipid & uninspiring movie that ends up making a mockery of two of Arthur Conan Doyle's greatest creations.
AD
