Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows


I thoroughly enjoyed Guy Ritchie's reinvention of Sherlock Holmes in 2009. I had no problem with his
re-imagining of Holmes as part detective and part action hero. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law seemed perfectly matched as the famous detective and his side kick Dr. Watson. the first film had an engaging thriller with the right amount of comic banter thrown in. And Mark Strong as Count Blackwood was a suitable adversary for Holmes to pursue.

So it was with some anticipation that I awaited the sequel. This time Holmes would be matching wits with his most famous nemesis Professor Moriarty played by Jared Harris. The first film already established the characters and set up the next film so I was looking forward to jumping right into the action.

And the movie does not disappoint there are action scenes galore. The film jumps from what set piece to another. The entire time having Holmes talk. Whether he is providing dialogue or voice over he talks. Rapidly. Events unfold and Holmes is explaining, describing or just plain pontificating.
The talking is so consistent and fast paced that its frequently hard to understand what is being said, especially when it is combined with the various explosions, gunfights and fist fights that occur.

There were only three scenes of any real interest and each of them occurred when Holmes and Moriarty had direct contact with each other. No special effects just good acting a decent script that allowed the humans to show through the barrage of special effects. Jared Harris is excellent as Moriarty.

Director Guy Ritchie must have felt the need to up the volume on everything. There are even more slow motion scenes that last forever. There is a particular scene in a forest where the characters are fleeing from while explosions are going on all around them. Ritchie delights in showing every tree, and branch, and leave explode in excruciatingly slow motion. Scenes are played and then replayed, and then replayed again as the action is explained. It was all over done, noise without substance, and it left me bored. the movie had a been there, done that feel about it.



Rating Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows ** stars

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