Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows (2011)

Photo Credit

Director: Guy Ritchie

Cast: Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes), Jude Law (Dr. John Watson), Jared Harris (Professor James Moriarty), Noomi Rapace (Madam Simza Heron), Stephen Fry (Mycroft Holmes)

Plot: Set in 1891, Holmes is in the pursuit of Moriarty who seems to be at the heart of many unrelated terrorist events and murders. Holmes seems to be the only person tracking Moriarty and enlists the help of his trusted friend, Dr. Watson, even if he is attempting to enjoy his honeymoon after arriving drunk at his own wedding thanks to Holmes. Holmes saves Madam Simza from an assassin sent to kill her after a letter from her brother informs her of potential events linked to Moriarty. Her and her brother were involved in anarchist groups before she escaped when they became too serious. Her brother may now be the key to all the conspiracy and may help Holmes stop Moriarty from his plan to create a World War using said anarchists since he owns a number of war-profiting manufacturer's. Holmes and Watson are on one last job to save the world from this potential supervillian!

I saw this film advertised not long ago and it didn't really catch my eye purely because I never made the time to watch the first film, Sherlock Holmes (2009). I would of preferred to have written this review after watching the first film, however after watching the second, I can't bring myself to do that. It really wasn't the film for me for a number of reasons. I can highlight some strengths and will do so in this review but I feel it could have been a lot better than it was.

The films plot, I feel, is far too complex and advanced for the times and I believe today's audiences would still prefer a far simpler, less Jackie Chan-esque Sherlock Holmes as the hero! Downey Jr. is a great comedic actor and definitely holds in own in this film but in my mind, Sherlock uses his intelligence to solve crimes in London, not his fists.

Nowadays we seem to be far more sensitised to violence and feel the need to see it in every film. I believe the fight scenes and over the top action sequences take away from the films potential. It begins in London and then ends up in Switzerland before anyone has even grasped what the hell is going on! The fact is, a good plot is the very essence of a good film. If your audience are left wondering what has happened for the last 129 minutes, you have done something wrong.

Ritchie did direct a fantastic scenic film, with beautiful shots of Paris, Germany and Switzerland and of course, credit is given to the action scenes even if I do think they are too much. Law and Downey Jr. have great chemistry and bounce off each other in their scenes together, there were a few laughs throughout the film so it does encompass comedy and action well.

I did love the character of Madam Simza, the gypsy fortune teller who was part of the anarchist group involved in this war mystery. She is beautifully gracious in all of the fight scenes, she is strong and intelligent, the perfect accomplice for the dynamic duo of Sherlock and Watson. Law for me was the star of this film, he was perfect as Holmes's sidekick and was effortlessly likable.

My favourite scene was when Sherlock Holmes was disguised as a woman in the train, he was attempting to save Watson on his way to his honeymoon disclosing 'I agree, it's not my best disguise'. I liked the fact that Holmes would go to such obvious extremes to reach his target and still get away with it. Although this got some laughs, I feel true fans of any Sherlock mystery would find the new film adaptations a little too slapstick.

The character of Moriarty was well casted with Jared Harris as he has a very suspicious and cold-hearted air to him. He acted well throughout and was a believable villain. However the character of Sherlock Holmes's brother being casted as Stephen Fry I feel is too undermined, he is far too good to be cast as such a minor character! He was fantastic in the film as the eccentric brother.

My view: The film is good for action lovers. It is worth watching if you like well thought out fight sequences but not if you love mysteries being solved with intellect and having a vintage, old school edge to it. I would have liked it to be less up-to-date and more true to the day it would have been set in.

Rating: 5/10

Check out the trailer and my vlog to Sherlock Holmes 2:

Let me know if you would like this voting system out of 10 to get an idea of this films rating or not! Contact me on @Trishaaa_ or comment below. Also let me know your views of this film.