Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows
(B- or 2.5/4 stars)
I had a blast with 2009's revisionist Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie (of all people). The film became a smash hit. A sequel was inevitable. And with that, here we are 2 yrs. later with 'Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows'. 'GoS' is not a straight adaptation of 'The Final Problem' from Arthur Conan Doyle's original works, but it borrows many elements from that story. As the film opens, renowned Detective Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) & criminal mastermind Prof. Moriarty (Jared Harris) are already onto each other - though, it's mostly through cunning verbal barbs & not swords. That changes when Holmes begins directly interfering with Moriarty's evil schemes (which may include the faux-suicide/assassination of the Crown Prince of Austria). Holmes can't quite get a handle on what Moriarty is up to in the grand scheme of things, but he's trying like hell to deduce it.
Moriarty is using anarchists & an ex-military sharpshooter to carry out other assassinations. He had also been employing Holmes' girlfriend, Irene (Rachel McAdams), as a messenger. But when Irene bungles a mission of Moriarty's ... it proves disastrous for her. Meanwhile, Dr. John Watson (Jude Law), Holmes' beloved asst. & only pal, is about to marry Mary (Kelly Reilly). To celebrate, Holmes arranges a 'stag night' for Watson that involves the company of Holmes’ older brother, Mycroft (Stephen Fry), & a ton of alcohol. While Watson is winning at cards, Holmes visits a gypsy fortune teller Simza (Noomi Rapace, of Sweden's The Girl with ... fame), who may or may not have intel about Moriarty's ultimate plans to start a World War! Fun spurts, chaos, tedium, & more fun ensues.
I had a decent enough time with 'Game of Shadows'. The 1st hour is chock full of fun, humor, action, & plot incident. I love the interplay btwn. Holmes & Watson. I could listen to them go back & forth all day. There are a number of standout action set pieces of note. i.e., a 4-on-1 fight btwn. Holmes & some thugs. A chase during Watson's bachelor party (stag night). A chase on a moving train (both exciting & funny). A scene involving Holmes & a meat hook (eeek). And a well shot race through a forest (with whizzing bullets & exploding shells flying by in super slo-mo). There are other chases, fights, & explosions along the way, as well. I always love how Guy Ritchie uses the slo-mo to advance Holmes' mental choreography of how a fight will play out. The best example of this is in the climactic duel btwn. Holmes & Moriarty when their own countermoves are shown before any physical pain is inflicted.
The look & feel of these Holmes films are impeccable. In particular, the art direction is mind-blowing (ranking up there with the 1st film's decadence, and other films this year, such as Deathly Hallows Part 2 & Hugo). Every inch of the screen is jam-packed with period visuals that please the eyes while the breakneck dialogue pleases the mind. Once again, Downey Jr. nails this re-imagined character. Gone is the stodgy, pipe-smoking Holmes of 125 yrs. ago. For better or worse (worse, if you are a Holmes traditionalist), RDJr. gives Holmes an edgy, slightly manic, but brilliant action-hero persona. Jude Law is at his most appealing self in the role of Watson. Stephen Fry offers many chuckles as Holmes' brother. Noomi Rapace shows us a different side from her Lisbeth Salander role in the aforementioned Swedish film series. And Jared Hill oozes a creepy menace as Prof. Moriarty. I enjoyed his intelligent & suave villain.
You know, the 1st hour is full of fun. I laughed a lot (as did the audience in my theater). I like that an action film doesn't have to be dumb. And listening to Holmes verbally spar with anyone is a delight. But I have issues with the film. After a while, the story became too busy & convoluted for my liking. And action after the 75 min. mark became disorganized & redundant. I also didn't like that Simza really gets the short end of the stick, narratively ... an awful non-ending for her. And worst of all, I kept wondering when the heck the film would end (feeling far more than its 130 minutes; which is a pacing issue). The last 15 minutes brings it home in fine fashion. I still like the spirit of this franchise. But on the whole, comparing the 2nd film to the 1st, lightning didn't exactly strike twice, for me.
Moriarty is using anarchists & an ex-military sharpshooter to carry out other assassinations. He had also been employing Holmes' girlfriend, Irene (Rachel McAdams), as a messenger. But when Irene bungles a mission of Moriarty's ... it proves disastrous for her. Meanwhile, Dr. John Watson (Jude Law), Holmes' beloved asst. & only pal, is about to marry Mary (Kelly Reilly). To celebrate, Holmes arranges a 'stag night' for Watson that involves the company of Holmes’ older brother, Mycroft (Stephen Fry), & a ton of alcohol. While Watson is winning at cards, Holmes visits a gypsy fortune teller Simza (Noomi Rapace, of Sweden's The Girl with ... fame), who may or may not have intel about Moriarty's ultimate plans to start a World War! Fun spurts, chaos, tedium, & more fun ensues.
I had a decent enough time with 'Game of Shadows'. The 1st hour is chock full of fun, humor, action, & plot incident. I love the interplay btwn. Holmes & Watson. I could listen to them go back & forth all day. There are a number of standout action set pieces of note. i.e., a 4-on-1 fight btwn. Holmes & some thugs. A chase during Watson's bachelor party (stag night). A chase on a moving train (both exciting & funny). A scene involving Holmes & a meat hook (eeek). And a well shot race through a forest (with whizzing bullets & exploding shells flying by in super slo-mo). There are other chases, fights, & explosions along the way, as well. I always love how Guy Ritchie uses the slo-mo to advance Holmes' mental choreography of how a fight will play out. The best example of this is in the climactic duel btwn. Holmes & Moriarty when their own countermoves are shown before any physical pain is inflicted.
The look & feel of these Holmes films are impeccable. In particular, the art direction is mind-blowing (ranking up there with the 1st film's decadence, and other films this year, such as Deathly Hallows Part 2 & Hugo). Every inch of the screen is jam-packed with period visuals that please the eyes while the breakneck dialogue pleases the mind. Once again, Downey Jr. nails this re-imagined character. Gone is the stodgy, pipe-smoking Holmes of 125 yrs. ago. For better or worse (worse, if you are a Holmes traditionalist), RDJr. gives Holmes an edgy, slightly manic, but brilliant action-hero persona. Jude Law is at his most appealing self in the role of Watson. Stephen Fry offers many chuckles as Holmes' brother. Noomi Rapace shows us a different side from her Lisbeth Salander role in the aforementioned Swedish film series. And Jared Hill oozes a creepy menace as Prof. Moriarty. I enjoyed his intelligent & suave villain.
You know, the 1st hour is full of fun. I laughed a lot (as did the audience in my theater). I like that an action film doesn't have to be dumb. And listening to Holmes verbally spar with anyone is a delight. But I have issues with the film. After a while, the story became too busy & convoluted for my liking. And action after the 75 min. mark became disorganized & redundant. I also didn't like that Simza really gets the short end of the stick, narratively ... an awful non-ending for her. And worst of all, I kept wondering when the heck the film would end (feeling far more than its 130 minutes; which is a pacing issue). The last 15 minutes brings it home in fine fashion. I still like the spirit of this franchise. But on the whole, comparing the 2nd film to the 1st, lightning didn't exactly strike twice, for me.