Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

 

Guy Ritchie's hyperspin on the classic Sherlock Holmes was an enjoyable, yet tiring film, as it was a little too frantic a little too often. I'm glad to say that the follow-up toned this down a bit, which makes everything more focused and easier to digest. Sometimes, a little less is exactly what you need. 

Also: this time the plot makes more sense as it is in essence Holmes going head-to-head with his arch nemesis Moriarty. 

The story picks up relatively short after the events of the first film, as Watson's wedding draws near. Holmes is now more on his own, trying to track down the nefarious dealings of Moriarty. But because the professor is equally intelligent and astute as Holmes, it all boils down to a game of intricate chess in the mind as both try to outwit one another. Through all the machinations, Irene Adler (Holmes' love interest) is the first victim, alas. 

Moriarty also wants to take out Watson and his wife simply to hurt Holmes. So for one last time, Watson and Holmes join forces in order to uncover what the dastardly plot is that Moriarty has come up with. It involves an anarchist group, some gypsies and Moriarty buying several companies all across Europe. His scheme is to turn the nations of Europe against one another, whilst he is the main supplier of both arms and goods. Like Moriarty says: they'll all turn to him for bandages and bullets. The culmination of this plan is to start a war during a peace summit, as tensions between nations are already frayed as is. 

Hindsight gives us the knowledge that a few years later, the First World War would break out, so Moriarty was on to something, but the chase in this one is truly exhilarating. 

Our actors present are once again rather good. Especially the dynamic between Downey and Law is better than the first one, as this is almost akin to a buddycop template. Downey also tones down the insanity that sometimes was a bit too much in the first one, which is good. That, and Ritchie did away with a lot of the manic editing and overuse of slow motion. Both are still here, but they are much better dosed and spaced out, so it is now a lot more effective when used. 

See kids? Too much of something is never a good option. 

The new arrivals to the cast are also very good. Stephen Fry is always brilliant, but he works wonders as Sherlock's eccentric brother Mycroft. He steals the show and he isn't even in the film that often. Noomi Rapace is okay as the gypsy Simza, but she doesn't have a lot to do other than being the sister of a guy Holmes and Watson desperately need to find, which is a shame. 

But by far the best addition to the roster is Jared Harris as Moriarty, also known as 'what would happen if Holmes was an egotistical maniac inclined to evil'. He has that evil streak where you look at him and feel uneasy. It's the demeanour and the stare that do it, and he does it with the same level of wit and grace that Holmes has. Perhaps even more so, as most people think Holmes is a bit of a nut, whereas everyone thinks Moriarty is a very erudite man with impeccable taste and manners. The standout scene is probably their last confrontation over a game of chess at the peace summit. Here, it is acted and edited extremely well and the tension is palpable.

Good stuff.

Does it help if you've seen the first one? Yes, absolutely. But even without that benefit, this sequel is a highly enjoyable film that works on nearly all levels. It's fun, engaging, well-written and doesn't get tedious or tiring at any time.