Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Review

Some criticized Guy Ritchie’s 2009 Sherlock Holmes for turning the legendary detective into an action hero. I was firmly on the opposite side of this spectrum. I embraced the modern interpretation of Holmes as a self-contained re-imagining of the character. It seems enough of the audience agreed with me, and here we are with A Game of Shadows. The action has been turned up to eleven here, culminating in a rigorously intense and stylishly edited chase through a forest. Unfortunately, lost in translation is an end of the deal that made 2009’s Holmes such a grand ride: the unpredictable, dark, imaginative mystery.

After perfecting his vision of the detective himself, the natural next step for Ritchie was to tackle Holmes’ arch-nemesis, Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris). This time around, Watson’s plans to settle down and marry are interrupted when Sherlock’s shenanigans land the duo in the midst of Moriarty’s scheme to begin a world war. Assisting is gypsy Simza (Noomi Rapace), in search of her brother. And so the three set out on an escapade across Europe to put an end to the twisted Professor’s plot. 

The fundamental problem with A Game of Shadows seems almost paradoxical: it tries too hard to nail the whole “Holmes versus Moriarty” concept and falters when it comes to actually crafting an intriguing mystery. In the original film, Mark Strong’s Lord Blackwood was such an obviously evil character that his diabolical plot was understandable by cinema standards, and therefore the mystery surrounding it was able to solidify without feeling shortsighted. 

Harris’ Moriarty, on the other hand, is a world-renowned college professor with everything he could ever want. So why is he out to incite global catastrophe? Because the writers need him to, that’s why. The tale of Holmes versus Moriarty wasn’t meant to be told in one, self-contained story, it was meant to be told over many volumes, and expanded upon with each, which is why the film falls rather flat on this front. 

Not to spoil anything, the film’s ending is shocking, but not in the sort of way you’d want. It feels incomplete, almost as if the writers didn’t know how else to wrap it up, and then sort of said, “There, I suppose that’ll do it.”, and assumed it’d function as an awkward, absurd sort of cliffhanger that's far too serious for the direction that Sherlock Holmes should be aiming for. While I still find myself craving a third Holmes movie, it’s really mostly because this film left things so ridiculously open that things could literally go anywhere from here. It’s disappointing, and it’s my hope that in future installments we’ll see more mystery, and less attempts at ludicrous characterization. 

While A Game of Shadows isn’t the neat and focused effort that its predecessor was, it still manages to entertain. Downey is as charming as ever in the title role, packing just the right amount of punch to coincide with his automatic likability. The charisma between him and Jude Law is spectacular. I still couldn’t ask for a better duo to play Holmes and Watson in the 21st century. Noomi Rapace does a great job and feels like one of the only notable additions that this sequel makes that I would be glad to see in future installments. Harris had a tough act to follow with Mark Strong’s brilliant turn as the antagonist of the first Sherlock, and he mostly delivers for the content he’s given. 

Guy Ritchie’s signature directory style is all over this. The camera constantly freezes to showcase actions in super slow-motions, before speeding them back up or replaying them in real time. The action is a tad difficult to keep track of but is nonetheless very different from anything other films offer up and manages to be almost artistic, though occasionally borders on dizzying.

Maybe I’ve sounded a bit too negative in this review, but that’s because I was so pleased with the direction Sherlock Holmes took the character that it’s distressing for me to see the potential franchise veer from the track it should stay firmly planted on, and so I feel inclined to point out its errors in hopes that future installments can recapture the magic of the first. So know this: A Game of Shadows is not a bad movie. It makes its fair share of missteps that threaten to derail Ritchie’s contemporary interpretation of the character, but the film still gets enough things right to ensure we’ll be seeing more of Downey’s detective in the near future, hopefully in a more stable and focused state.

Final Score:

6.5/10

“Fine”