The famous consulting detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his faithful partner Dr John Watson (Jude Law) are returning to the scene of the crime. This time around, they are hot on the heals of the notoriously infamous Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris) as they attempt to stop his diabolical schemes, that threaten to plunge the whole world into a new war.
It is difficult to decide how to approach this film. On the one hand, the Cinematography - which makes great use of slow motion and the Sherlock intellectual breakdown that we saw in the 1st film - is nothing short of genius. The dynamic duo of Downey and Law are as spectacular in their performance as they were before, and cameos from various famous faces, which include an appearance of Holmes brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) add to the excitement. And of course, watching Sherlock break down the mystery and put the puzzle together is astounding to watch.
The being said, these may be the only redeeming qualities to the film. Perhaps it is the fall out of the BBC Sherlock series, but A Game of Shadows just didn't have that same impact as its predecessor. Harris may not necessarily have been the best choice for Moriarty, who's character seems to be a rip of the Phantom from League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The story, in spit of the fact that it is originally fiction, just feels out of place for the time period it is meant to portray. Although the cinematography is spectacular, it may force many of the special effects on the audience: there are numerous scenes that seem hell bent on out-doing the previous film and nothing more. And the bromance is taken to a whole new level; indeed the people who made jokes about HolmesXWatson Homosexuality in the 1st film are going to have a field day.
As I said before, perhaps it is because of the BBC series, but Sherlock Holmes: a Game of Shadows seems to fall short of its mark. It is like a puzzle of a blue sky - it was fun to put together, but the result is not all that grand.
