'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' -- a Film Review

"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" is the second installment of the version of Conan Doyle's classic sleuth, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Dr. Watson.

The sequel also introduces two iconic Holmes villains, Professor Moriarty played by Jared Harris and Colonel Sebastian Moran, played by Paul Anderson. Rachel McAdams returns, albeit far too briefly, as Irene Adler. Stephen Fry shows up as Holmes's brother Mycroft,

Downey's Holmes, as in the first movie, is disheveled, more than a little mad, and possessing of martial arts skills connected to a brain rapid enough to map out each physical confrontation in advance. Law's Watson is as exasperated as ever. This is especially true as the latest adventure interferes with his honeymoon in Brighten with the new Mrs. Watson, played by Kelly Reilly.

The fiendish plot that Moriarty has set upon, which Holmes and Watson must stop, involves starting World War I 13 years early, in 1891, and then to grow rich selling arms and other tools of war to both sides. He is doing this by committing a number of terrorist bombings and assassinations.

The movie, following Ritchie's approach of Holmes as Victorian era action hero, involves a lot of gun fire, explosions, and people falling from great heights. There is plenty of sleuthing involved as well, with Holmes' legendary powers of observation allowing him to piece things together and to thus arrive at the conclusion, no matter how improbable.

The idea of a cabal of "merchants of death" profiting off of war is an old one. It was a popular belief in the wake of the actual First World War. It is a largely discredited notion; wars are started by politicians and not by evil corporate interests.

On the other hand, Moriarty is just the man to undertake the scheme of starting a war to make money off of. As depicted in the film, he has all the megalomania of a Bond villain. The scheme is just grand enough to fit his mindset.

In any event, the film leads up to a climax at the Swiss town of Reichenbach and a conclusion that will be familiar to fans of Holmes. All in all, an enjoyable fusion of a Holmes story and a big budget action film.

Source: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Yahoo Movies