Over break I went and saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of
Shadows, which like its predecessor was a great romp to see over the holidays. Although he was hinted at as the villain in
the first movie, Professor James Moriarty--played very well by Jared Harries—is
front and center the bad guy in this film.
Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Moriarty have always had an
interesting relationship in the various ways they have been presented over the
years, and this movie is no exception.
Although they come face to face early in the movie, both are too sure of
their own genius to feel the need to do anything at that moment, so leave each
other be. The reason may also to have
been to allow for the rest of the movie to take place, but that is a rather
dull reason.
The rest of the cast is equally great in their roles, the
returning characters as well as the new characters. Jude Law returns as Doctor John Watson, who
you have to feel for since his best friend does a very good job of making his
life very complicated. In the end they
are still bros though, so it’s all good.
Rachel McAdams also returns for this film as the thief Irene Adler, but
she is mostly a foil for presenting the main conflict of the movie, and only
features in the early part of the movie.
The two new supporting characters are probably the most fun though. Stephen Fry play Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s
equally eccentric brother, and like in his other movies brings a dry wit and a
flair for the insane. Noomi Rapace, who
some may recognize from the Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movies, plays Madam
Simza Heron, a gypsy fortuneteller with a penchant for knives. What Stephen Fry brings to the humor, Noomi
Rapace brings to the action, helping Watson and Sherlock escape from a number
of dangerous predicaments they find themselves in.
The story of the movie basically centers on Sherlock’s
obsession with Moriarty and putting an end to his nefarious schemes. There are cursory clues that are presented at
the start that point to wider machinations by Moriarty, but it isn’t all neatly
wrapped up until the end of the film in typical mystery-movie fashion. There are also certain settings that I won’t
spoil here, but if you are familiar with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock
Holmes stories, they will immediately bring to mind events that of course the
movie will bring about. My only major
gripe with this movie is that the ending is a little too Hollywood, but from
the way the first movie went these are fluffier and more action oriented
Sherlock Holmes movies, so we can’t expect a dark and ambiguous end (especially
since it would make another sequel difficult).
If you are looking for a fun action movie during these
dreary winter weeks, Sherlock Holmes: A
Game of Shadows is the movie for you.
It has the humor that you’d expect from this cast, as well as the action
you’d expect from a Guy Ritchie movie. I’m
not sure they’re even discussing it yet, but here’s hoping there eventually is
a Sherlock Holmes 3.
John Hackert is a
columnist and although he enjoyed this movie, he likes the BBC’s ‘Sherlock’
better.
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