SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS Movie Review
By: RAMA
So what did RAMA think of the movie? Make sure to follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
And 2011′s movie for the easily amused is.. SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS. I thought the previous movie was enjoyable because it presented Sherlock Holmes in a new, refreshing, and renaissance form, a man with many skills, but watching him do his business again in the sequel is a waste of time and money.
Robert Downey, Jr.’s portrayal of the man who solves crimes by way of deductive and logical reasoning gets even more ridiculous this time around.
He’s a complete buffoon, he’s gotten more careless than Jack Sparrow.
And the bromance between Holmes and Watson has turned from hilarious to uncomfortable and disturbing.
One would even question Holmes’ mental health or if he suffers from any type of autism or A-D-D.
This movie is a mess, a couple of bumbling bickering bantering characters combined with excessive use of CG.
Not to mention Jared Harris’ rather tame, uninspired version of Prof. Moriarty who’s supposed to be one of the most highly respected masterminds of the fictional world. I had high hopes because I think Harris is a fantastic actor and Moriarty is to Holmes what Joker is to Batman but I would rather play any other game but this one…
There is a new criminal mastermind at large–Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris)–and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder–a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by one Professor Moriarty.
Mixing business with pleasure, Holmes tracks the clues to an underground gentlemen’s club, where he and his brother, Mycroft Holmes (Stephen Fry) are toasting Dr. Watson on his last night of bachelorhood. It is there that Holmes encounters Sim (Noomi Rapace), a Gypsy fortune teller, who sees more than she is telling and whose unwitting involvement in the prince’s murder makes her the killer’s next target. Holmes barely manages to save her life and, in return, she reluctantly agrees to help him. The investigation becomes ever more dangerous as it leads Holmes, Watson and Sim across the continent, from England to France to Germany and finally to Switzerland.
But the cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead as he spins a web of death and destruction–all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.
I’m a big fan of Noomi Rapace’s performance in the Swedish adaptation of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and I was actually looking forward to her role as gypsy Madam Heron but her performance in this film may well be one of this year’s dullest. It actually cracks me up because all I saw on the screen were Holmes and Watson arguing and the camera would include Noomi’s face staring at them, clueless, not knowing what she’s supposed to contribute.
I kinda feel sorry for Jude Law in this sequel, as Watson, he’s the sorriest sidekicks I’ve ever seen. He’s like Holmes’ very own sideshow bob. The only reason he sticks around is because he thinks Holmes could be helpful and sweet when he wants to be but for the most part, Watson’s job is cover Holmes’ back and nothing more.
I understand the intention of making their friendship seem like ‘The Odd Couple’, Holmes is Oscar and Watson is Felix. It’s a ‘you can’t live with them, you can’t live without them’ type relationship and in this sequel, the story emphasizes how far Holmes would go to protect his dear friend, he’d even go drag if that’s what it takes. By the way, the image of Downey Jr. in drag, with full on female make up and attire, sadly is not an image you can erase from your memory over night.
So I understand what the story is going for, and how Moriarty and Holmes’ brother Mycroft, played by Stephen Fry, come into play in all this, with the plot to start a big war.
But Guy Ritchie’s focus on pre-conceived martial art fight sequences, juvenile disguises, childish jokes, and explosives is overbearing and pointless.
And the investigation process is not that engaging either. It always resorts to what type of silly comment or behavior would Holmes say or do next.
GRADE: 2 out of 5
Please Leave A Comment-
Comments