Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Writers: Michele and Kieran Mulroney
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Ropace and Jared Harris
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Ropace and Jared Harris
When Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes was released in 2009, it not only arguably revitalized his career but also introduced Sherlock Holmes as an action hero for Hollywood audiences. Now the gang are back for A Game of Shadows, a sequel which is longer and louder than its predecessor but can you a deduce a beyond elementary story?
In turning Sherlock Holmes into an action hero they have delivered films in which you must turn your brain off rather than on. As Sherlock Holmes is a character based in mystery and detective work, purists and fans of the character in its original form may be even more disillusioned in this sequel than they were in the first, as Sherlock in this film is turned into the Jack Sparrow of detectives. Like Depp’s performance as Jack Sparrow, Downey Jr. in this film is borderline annoying in certain movements as his character hurtles from one ridiculous disguise to the next, coming off as more of a goofy madman than a genius detective. Especially throughout the film’s first half, it felt as if Downey Jr. was having a great time playing Sherlock Holmes but we were having slightly less of a fun time watching him.
What made the first film work so well was the banter and relationship between Holmes and Watson. The film is so desperate to keep these two men at its core that it throws Watson’s wife off a train to get rid of her for the rest of the narrative...a big mistake. While a female character in the form of Noomi Ropace is introduced into the dynamic, with the only purpose seemingly to have a female character, the story would have been better served if Watson’s wife had been a part of the adventure, dividing Watson’s loyalties in battle and setting the ground for more tense and comedic moments, as Watson’s wife is forced to deal first hand with Sherlock and the chaos of his world and actions. While it is nice to see an actress like Noomi Ropace given a chance in a big Hollywood blockbuster, her character is very pointless and I never felt engaged or invested in her, or her story whatsoever. She just felt like a distraction and an extra amount of baggage that this film could have really done without.
The villain this time around is Moriarity and again we are faced with many missed opportunities. His reveal is a bit of an anti-climax given all the build up he was given in the first film and his motive behind his actions is incredibly poor. There was never any palpable threat or tension when he was on screen and it really felt like the writers were wasting a potentially great villain and performance from Jarred Harris. The only time when the film really makes the most out of its villain and its story is in the chess game based climax, which is a genuinely exciting, engaging, dynamic piece of filmmaking.
Speaking of dynamic filmmaking, Guy Ritchie brings his usual style to this film and once again it serves to at times make the film much more exciting to watch and at others much more jarring. There are certain tricks that he uses one too many times, such as the seeing all the parts move before the gun is fired, something that is fine when done once, however when done a third or fourth time starts to become tiresome and repetitive, feeling like flash just for the sake of being flash rather than augmenting the viewing experience in any significant way.
Guy Ritchie can do some spectacular action sequences however, with the forest scene in this film being one of the finer action moments of 2011. The train set piece is also something that would not seem out of place in a Steven Spielberg directed Indiana Jones film. The cinematography, costume and art direction work is also impressive, you really do get the feeling that the film you are watching is taking place in a completely different world.
The main problems of this film come not from the directing, the crafts or the acting but rather the script and the editing. This is a film which really does not justify its beyond two hour running time and should have been much tighter and shorter. The first half in particular really drags as they spend way too long moving all the pieces of their needlessly convoluted story. The film as I said earlier, also takes many leaps that lack logic, with many plot holes and over the top sequences, which really do not feel like Sherlock Holmes. While I realize this is not Sherlock Holmes of old and a brand new interpretation, it is so the polar opposite of what Sherlock Holmes symbolizes and stands far, that you think a title change is in order. The film at times seemed too stupid for the characters it was meant to be portraying, with writers who seem to believe that convolution=complexity
As a turn your brain off entertainment however, Game of Shadows does deliver the goods through its action sequences, below the line crafts and performances. The first half was a muddled mess but the film grew on me as the story progressed and the film’s climax was great and so much better than everything that came before it. The film has numerous little pay offs to small things that are introduced earlier into the narrative, which I loved and I thought the ending was brilliant. Despite all the flaws with this film I do actually look forward to seeing where they take this character. I just wished that this film had been shorter, either ditched or properly developed Ropace, made the most of its villain and hadn’t tried to replicate Jack Sparrow with its central character.
Overall there is nothing wrong in this film that can’t be fixed in a third with perhaps more time spent on a solid screenplay. If you want my advice Hollywood (Which I know you do) give Steven Moffat the job of writing the third one. He knows the character as he writes the superior BBC Sherlock series currently on air, and he has written for Hollywood with Tintin. If this film series can find some smarts and sensibility to meet its style, then we could get a product, which is more than just elementary.
In turning Sherlock Holmes into an action hero they have delivered films in which you must turn your brain off rather than on. As Sherlock Holmes is a character based in mystery and detective work, purists and fans of the character in its original form may be even more disillusioned in this sequel than they were in the first, as Sherlock in this film is turned into the Jack Sparrow of detectives. Like Depp’s performance as Jack Sparrow, Downey Jr. in this film is borderline annoying in certain movements as his character hurtles from one ridiculous disguise to the next, coming off as more of a goofy madman than a genius detective. Especially throughout the film’s first half, it felt as if Downey Jr. was having a great time playing Sherlock Holmes but we were having slightly less of a fun time watching him.
What made the first film work so well was the banter and relationship between Holmes and Watson. The film is so desperate to keep these two men at its core that it throws Watson’s wife off a train to get rid of her for the rest of the narrative...a big mistake. While a female character in the form of Noomi Ropace is introduced into the dynamic, with the only purpose seemingly to have a female character, the story would have been better served if Watson’s wife had been a part of the adventure, dividing Watson’s loyalties in battle and setting the ground for more tense and comedic moments, as Watson’s wife is forced to deal first hand with Sherlock and the chaos of his world and actions. While it is nice to see an actress like Noomi Ropace given a chance in a big Hollywood blockbuster, her character is very pointless and I never felt engaged or invested in her, or her story whatsoever. She just felt like a distraction and an extra amount of baggage that this film could have really done without.
The villain this time around is Moriarity and again we are faced with many missed opportunities. His reveal is a bit of an anti-climax given all the build up he was given in the first film and his motive behind his actions is incredibly poor. There was never any palpable threat or tension when he was on screen and it really felt like the writers were wasting a potentially great villain and performance from Jarred Harris. The only time when the film really makes the most out of its villain and its story is in the chess game based climax, which is a genuinely exciting, engaging, dynamic piece of filmmaking.
Speaking of dynamic filmmaking, Guy Ritchie brings his usual style to this film and once again it serves to at times make the film much more exciting to watch and at others much more jarring. There are certain tricks that he uses one too many times, such as the seeing all the parts move before the gun is fired, something that is fine when done once, however when done a third or fourth time starts to become tiresome and repetitive, feeling like flash just for the sake of being flash rather than augmenting the viewing experience in any significant way.
Guy Ritchie can do some spectacular action sequences however, with the forest scene in this film being one of the finer action moments of 2011. The train set piece is also something that would not seem out of place in a Steven Spielberg directed Indiana Jones film. The cinematography, costume and art direction work is also impressive, you really do get the feeling that the film you are watching is taking place in a completely different world.
The main problems of this film come not from the directing, the crafts or the acting but rather the script and the editing. This is a film which really does not justify its beyond two hour running time and should have been much tighter and shorter. The first half in particular really drags as they spend way too long moving all the pieces of their needlessly convoluted story. The film as I said earlier, also takes many leaps that lack logic, with many plot holes and over the top sequences, which really do not feel like Sherlock Holmes. While I realize this is not Sherlock Holmes of old and a brand new interpretation, it is so the polar opposite of what Sherlock Holmes symbolizes and stands far, that you think a title change is in order. The film at times seemed too stupid for the characters it was meant to be portraying, with writers who seem to believe that convolution=complexity
As a turn your brain off entertainment however, Game of Shadows does deliver the goods through its action sequences, below the line crafts and performances. The first half was a muddled mess but the film grew on me as the story progressed and the film’s climax was great and so much better than everything that came before it. The film has numerous little pay offs to small things that are introduced earlier into the narrative, which I loved and I thought the ending was brilliant. Despite all the flaws with this film I do actually look forward to seeing where they take this character. I just wished that this film had been shorter, either ditched or properly developed Ropace, made the most of its villain and hadn’t tried to replicate Jack Sparrow with its central character.
Overall there is nothing wrong in this film that can’t be fixed in a third with perhaps more time spent on a solid screenplay. If you want my advice Hollywood (Which I know you do) give Steven Moffat the job of writing the third one. He knows the character as he writes the superior BBC Sherlock series currently on air, and he has written for Hollywood with Tintin. If this film series can find some smarts and sensibility to meet its style, then we could get a product, which is more than just elementary.
Summary:
A lackluster first half is made up for with a tremendous climax, however an overlong, muddled narrative and numerous missed opportunities mean that this sequel is more of the first films strengths and flaws.
Rating: 6/10
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
Disagree with this review? Give us your thoughts in the Your Say section.
Rating: 6/10
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
Disagree with this review? Give us your thoughts in the Your Say section.
