Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Review

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Review

The sequel to the 2009 Sherlock Holmes film does everything the first film did only better and bigger and in many ways this should mean that A Game of Shadows is a better film and in many ways it is but while it goes above and beyond the call of duty, it now presents itself as a better action film but not as a better Sherlock Holmes film. For the fans of the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories that may have been pretty obvious since the first film but this is also where things get a bit hazy on the details since these two films are much more accurate in portrayal who Sherlock Holmes was but they also miss the mark on what the Sherlock Holmes stories were about. It’s a better Sherlock Holmes movie without entirely being Sherlock Holmes. Confused yet? Take a look into this in-depth review to get a better insight.

If you look at the original Sherlock Holmes franchise basing their quality on story then you should expect fast-paced mystery-thriller riddled with intelligent quibbles and dialogues and a lot of slower paced moments focusing on Sherlock Holmes as he thinks and solves the mystery of the case. Sherlock Holmes as a character is an eccentric, ambitious but altogether confused human being who knows what he’s capable of and does it with such an air of confidence that it can appear to be downright arrogant and a bit insulting to the common man’s intellect. The first movie pretty much got the character right but only half dabbled on the story half and the sequel pretty much disregards that half altogether since the mystery is not all the way mysterious and the action is hardcore action that one would expect to be seen in a Bruce Willis or Sylvester Stallone flick. Plot-wise the movie is more of a summer action blockbuster than it is a detective story. Despite losing direction it is still a much better film.

Most of the strength comes with the cast. Jude Law is given much more to do as Dr. John Watson and his relationship between his personal life and with his work alongside Sherlock Holmes is tested throughout this film. Rachel McAdams returns as Irene Adler giving yet again another performance that does stand above average but still isn’t spectacular enough to steal the spotlight. Noomi Rapace, the lead actress in the original The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo film, makes her appearance as the enigmatic Madame Simza Heron. A lot of the credit has to go to Stephen Fry who plays Holmes’ brother Mycroft and to Jared Harris who plays the antagonist, Professor James Moriarty. Harris’ performance outplays Lord Blackwood, the villain of the first movie. The scenes he shares with Sherlock Holmes are some of the highlights of the film and solidify the character’s portrayal as the ultimate villain and the ultimate hero.

Still the biggest spotlight shines on Robert Downey Jr. This is his film and this is obvious from start to finish. His portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is definitely quirky and outright amusing at times but they still stay true to the source material and serve their purpose to propel the plot. If it wasn’t for Robert Downey Jr. this film might have collapsed under the problems of its plot and pacing but the actor holds the reins together that keeps everything working despite everything going against it. He takes up more disguises, he thinks much faster, monologues to himself more often and is a much more fluid fighter in this film than he did in the first film, creating a likeable character that the audience can root for even if the situations he is seen in are not all together believable.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a much better action film than its predecessor with better special effects, better action pieces, better acting and a better setting but the plot overall does not merit the title of being a Sherlock Holmes film. If you are looking for a by-the-book detective story than you won’t find it here but if you are hoping for a character driven action thriller with some brains and brawns then A Game of Shadows is definitely the film to go to. This movie review grants Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows three and a half stars out of five.