Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

 

DIRECTED BY-: 
Guy Ritchie

STARRING-: 

Robert Downey Jr. 

Jude Law

Jared Harris

YEAR OF RELEASE-: 

2011

PREMISE-: 

Detective Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, who is carrying out a string of random crimes across Europe.

THE PROBLEMS-:

• The screenplay felt a bit slow and weak in the first 10 - 20 minutes. 

• Although there is considerably more humor here compared to the first film, it didn’t ALWAYS land, at least for me.

• Downey looked like he was trying way too hard to speak and act British in the first act.

• Noomi Rapace's character lacked the ability to arrest the audience's attention as well as Irene Adler did.

• The plot armor of the main characters got really ludicrous in some particular scenes.

THE POSITIVES-:

• The film kept improving as the scenes progressed and once the script found its footing and things began to get serious, the scenes also started to become not only entertaining, but also exhilarating and filled with tension.  

• The cinematography and soundtrack succeeded at beautifully encapsulating and portraying the industrial, polluted, and crime-ridden atmosphere of 19th century London.

• Jared Harris as professor Moriarty was a close to PERFECT casting choice. Not only was he a better villain than Lord Blackwood from the previous installment, he also exuded a presence and command in his scenes with Sherlock which was absent previously. 

• While the direction and camerawork by Guy Ritchie may occasionally feel too self-indulgent, it wasn’t completely jarring or distracting and made the screenplay enjoyable nonetheless. 

• It was also immensely delightful to watch a much more fleshed out bond & camaraderie between Sherlock and Watson, thanks to the film’s excellent dialogues and charming performances. 

• Barring the plot armors and some minor plot holes, the story overall was also very well developed, presented and executed. The various events and plot elements incorporated into the script felt more grand-scale than before, with bigger stakes and risks, which is always welcome and appreciated in a sequel.

RATING -: 6/10