Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Plot: The world's greatest detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) returns in the followup to director Guy Ritchie's 2009 hit. Holmes's latest adventure finds him and colleague Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) pitted against the nefarious Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris) whose machinations could spell worldwide doom. Along with gypsy Sim (Noomi Rapace) and Sherlock's brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry), Holmes and Watson must thwart an enemy more dangerous and enigmatic than either have ever encountered.

Review: For the life of me I can't understand why the first Sherlock Holmes movie gets so much hate. Despite the fact that the Rotten Tomatoes rating is a 70%, I can't tell you how many people I run into who detest that movie. Most can't stand to see Holmes as an action hero but personally I love it. It does not take away from his deductive methods, which are still the essence of Holmes. If anything it makes him even more intriguing. Holmes uses his mind to develop the best way to physically overpower his enemies. It is the perfect marriage of brains and brawn. While A Game of Shadows doesn't quite match the fresh quality of the original, it certainly is a strong followup to what undoubtedly will be a trilogy.
Although I enjoyed the film, the first fifteen minutes almost derailed the entire movie. What made Downey's performance so memorable in the first film was his ability to balance the right amount of humor, action, and drama through his portrayal of Holmes. Shadows started off almost exclusively with humor, to the point where it was borderline slapstick. But if you can weather through the first quarter hour, which involves Holmes turning his office into a jungle, drinking formaldehyde, and attacking Watson with fake darts, you're in for a great thrill ride.
Shadows finds its legs at Watson's stag party, where we are introduced to gypsy fortune teller Sim (Noomi Rapace). The former star of the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo and the heroine of next year's Ridley Scott sci-fi film Prometheus, plays the wayward gypsy perfectly. At times vulnerable and other times tough as English tack, Rapace gives a memorable performance that certainly proves she can act in English just as well as she can in Swedish.
After Holmes discovers that Sim's brother is involved with Moriarty's latest schemes, it kicks off an amazing action sequence that is a visual delight. It's just a taste what's in store. Harrowing escapes from trains, collapsing buildings, and a game of wits at Reichanbach Falls are the order of the day. All hail cinematographer Philippe Rousselot, whose work is some of the best I've seen this year.
While the cinematography and actions sequences are fantastic, Ritchie goes way over the top when it comes to slow motion in Shadows. Although this was a key feature of the original that I enjoyed, the slow motion is excessive to say the least. James Herbert's less than stellar editing exacerbates this problem and other sequences come across slightly choppy. Additionally, I think Ritchie needs to cut back on the "Holmes-inner dialogue-plan-out-what-ass-kicking-sequence-I'm-about-to-do" routine. It gets a little tiresome. Although I will admit the one between Holmes and Moriarty in the closing scenes is awesome.
Fortunately, Kieran and Michele Mulroney have written an excellent script where the plot unravels like an onion. Truth be told the audience really doesn't understand Moriarty's master plan until about three quarters of the way through. This not only generates a considerable amount of suspense but keeps the audience invested as well. I know I was. Veteran composer Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, The Dark Knight) succeeds yet again, delivering a fantastic score that punctuates the dramatic dialogue driven scenes as much as the action sequences.
Jude Law excels again as Watson, an excellent foil to Holmes. While their relationship is a complicated one and often tempestuous, the Academy Award nominated actor does a great job of demonstrating the loyalty and friendship that exists between the two comrades. Law plays the uptight, almost anal retentive Watson to a t. It's the perfect balance to Downey's impulsive and reckless behavior. The chemistry between the two is fantastic. Credit Ritchie for making an excellent casting decision to bring these two together.
Incidentally Stephen Fry is hilarious as Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's lazy brother who works for the British government. Not only is he Holmes equal in deduction but both Fry and Downey play off of each other beautifully. Mycroft's "nude" scene with Watson's wife Mary (Kelly Reilly) is hysterical.
Where A Game of Shadows fundamentally succeeds is in the dynamic interaction between Downey's Holmes and Harris's Moriarty. The scenes between these two are absolutely enthralling. Downey's Holmes is the best on screen since Basil Rathbone--maybe ever. Equally impressive is Harris's Moriarty. He brings just the right amount of sinister evil, charisma, intellectual prowess, and physical presence to the role. If you tried to pin me down and decide who was better I honestly couldn't give you an answer. While their initial encounter in Professor Moriarty's office is palpable with tension, it's nothing compared to the "chess scene" at the end of the film. Simply amazing.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a rousing, action packed film. Guy Ritchie does a superb job of bringing 1891 Europe to life. Although Shadows stumbles at the outset it certainly proves the adage, "it's not how you start, it's how you finish."

My rating: 7.5/10

*Incidentally I saw the full trailer for The Dark Knight Rises before this film and let me tell you it is all kinds of awesome. As soon as WB takes the stick out of their rectum and puts it on the Internet, I'm going to post it and do a complete breakdown.