Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) is obsessed with stopping Professor James Moriarty (Harris) that they become looked in a game of chess with real people as chess pieces. Holmes has tracked down the intricate web that Moriarty has weaved.
On the eve of Watson's wedding, Holmes saves the life of a gypsy (Rapace) and Moriarty targets Watson. After saving Watson on a train trip which is supposed to be the start of Watson's honeymoon, Holmes and
Watson race across Europe
to stop Moriarty's plan to ignite a war across Europe.
SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS
is an entertaining thrill ride, but parts of it are not as good as the first film.
The deductive logic of Holmes isn't in this sequel as much. Ritchie
has chosen to focus more on action and humor in this film. He wants to
portray the game that Moriarty and Holmes play against each other.
Other reviewers have a point that the battle
of wills between Holmes sand Moriarty should be from afar. I wish the movie
had Moriarty be more operating from the shadows instead of making a focus to show what Moriarty is doing. A GAME OF SHADOWS should have focused even more on Holmes discovering this and uncovering it. My one problem with the new SHERLOCK HOLMES films is that both film gives too
much away by also showing what the villain is doing while Holmes races to deduce it.
If they edited down showing what the bad guy does during the film, I think the first film and the sequel would be stronger. I do enjoy both films, but I rather have the films be just from the point of views
of Holmes and Watson while only revealing what the bad guys are doing when our heroes meet them and through what they discover. The acting is great, but Noomi Rapace seems wasted in her role as a gypsy woman where
she was so stellar as Lisabeth Salander in the Swedish TV series, MILLENNIUM (which are adaptations of TEH GRIL WITH THE DRAGON
TATTOO and the other two Steig Larsson novels).
SHERLOCK
HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS is a flawed and entertaining action film which could have been much more. If they make a third SHERLOCK HOLMES film (which is a forgone conclusion given how much this sequel will
probably make), I hope they focus less on showing what the bad guys are doing and more on Holmes uncovering what they are
doing. I cringe to think what they will do if they choose to adapt the
old standard known as the overrated HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. If they do, I hope they bring more mystery back to Sherlock
Holmes.
this review is (c)12-17-2011 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com
