I personally enjoyed Guy Ritchie’s first Sherlock Holmes film. I know a lot of people slammed the movie for its unusual portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved characters, but I admired it for its different approach on the mystery series. The sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows has more of all the things that made the first movie great, minus a decent plot.
Though the first film did have a clear imbalance between action and mystery, A Game of Shadows forgoes almost all sense of mystery until near the very end, making it a solid action movie, but not the sort of thing you’d expect from a Sherlock Holmes tale. The action was awesome, but at times felt forced. It was as if with Sherlock somehow forgot he was a detective.
The sequences where Holmes choreographs his fights before they actually happen were done well in the first movie, and to great effect. It may have seemed a little superhuman, but not entirely ridiculous.
In A Game of Shadows the gimmick was beaten to death. By the fourth time Holmes predicted how a fight would go, it came across as tedious and uninteresting.
The movie also seemed to do a lackluster job of adding new characters. People who aren’t fans of the Sherlock stories will likely be confused at the unannounced appearance of Sherlock’s brother Mycroft , and they will be unlikely to feel the tension in the room when Sherlock meets his nemesis Professor Moriarty .
Noomi Rapace’s character, Madam Simza , feels as if she’s there only to act as a plot device, as she seemed completely unnecessary for much of the movie. There’s one scene in particular where Sherlock and Watson are planning their next move, and all the while Noomi’s character is just staring at them, contributing nothing.
For my numerous issues with the progression of the plot, Guy Ritchie does a good job of keeping the viewer entertained. The lackluster story remains fast-paced throughout, and there’s enough sexual tension to keep even the most apathetic viewers in the theater.
The cast did the best they could, considering what they had to work with. Robert Downey Jr . settles into his old stint as a madman and genius. Jude Law excels in his role as Dr. John Watson; and Stephen Fry, as Holmes’ brother Mycroft , was a hilarious addition to the cast.
As for the score, it now seems impossible that Hans Zimmer will ever create a bad one. It’s refreshing that Zimmer manages to create another breathtaking score that expands upon, and even exceeds, the music in the first film.
Zimmer writes a variety of styles from fast-paced gypsy dances to eerie suspenseful ambience, and even manages to dial back the use of tubas in the action scenes. Even if you don’t plan on seeing the film, the soundtrack is definitely worth a listen.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a solid action movie, with great entertainment value. However this movie is best enjoyed with your brain switched off, which is not exactly what one might expect from a movie featuring Sherlock Holmes. Those who like their Holmes with a bit more mystery may want to pass on this sequel, and should consider checking out the BBC series Sherlock instead.
