Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Warner Bros.)
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some drug material.
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Jared Harris, Stephen Fry, Paul Anderson, Kelly Reilly, Geraldine James, Eddie Marsan.
Written by Michele Mulroney and Kieran Mulroney, based on characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Directed by Guy Ritchie.
GRADE: B
REVIEW:
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are back again as the world's greatest detective and his erstwhile sidekick in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
This time, Holmes takes up a challenge by the evil Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) who is trying to manipulate most of Europe into fighting a world war so he can benefit as a defense supplier.
Holmes and Watson are thrown together with the gypsy Madam Simza (Noomi Rapace) as they snoop out Moriarty's plot to corner the artillery market while working to fan the flames of war in the late 1800s.
Holmes, Watson and Simza deal with all the twists and turns of Moriarty's plot while trying to thwart an assassination. They are joined by Sherlock's brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) as Holmes and Moriarty face off in a game of wits as the plot develops.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is very much like its 2009 predecessor from the same team, which was a clever film with a lot of fun twists. The problem for SH2 is, you expect the twist and turns and are not exactly surprised when the surprises show up.
Even so, SH2 is often entertaining and succeeds at being a little less dark than the first installment. Downey and Law are a potent duo, surrounded by a great cast of characters.
