Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows - A Movie Review
Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows Movie
We recently went to see Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows in the theater. My son and I went on Christmas night actually, and it was all we expected and more. We had seen the first Sherlock Holmes movie that came out and really enjoyed that one. We hoped this one would be as good and it was even better.
Having seen the trailers in advance in other movies, we had been looking forward to it for some time. I was surprised that I actually drove out to the theater to see it when we did that night, but it was so fun. Robert Downey Jr. has become one of my favorite actors over time, truth be told. I am not sure why I hadn't been paying better attention to him before now, but I am so glad to see him in more and more movies. He is great. With Jude Law, you can't go wrong.
Dr. John Watson, played by Jude law was about to get married, in the beginning of this movie. This meant huge changes for Sherlock Holmes and his life. How would things go now for him, with his partner gone and busy with married life? In the meantime, the enemies never seem to face, and Holme's enemy, Professor James Moriarty is quite the villain. He is played by an interesting actor, Jared Harris, and does an excellent job in his role. This archenemy, Moriarty is brilliant and rather evil, and never seems to fail.
Somehow, Holme's get the help of his friend Dr. John Watson, which is worth watching in itself. It was "one last time", or request and then he could be left alone to live his life. Quickly we realize it would be impossible, they are an inseparable pair that is fun to watch.
There are plenty of the scenes playing out, where Holmes is playing out what he thinks could happen in his master mind, which in proves to be a life saving technique time and again. A form of chess, if you will, but applied to life in high speed visualization that is fascinating. If you haven't seen the first one, I would highly recommend it, and you can see how he does this, and it is fascinating. Just make sure to see this current movie also on the big screen, it is so worth watching!
Evil Moriarty doesn't let it be a secret, that he will target Watson and his new wife both, for Holme's meddling in his affairs. Dr. John Watson must get and stay involved to the end, as there seems no real choice. Holme's suspected that he would be enjoying himself, and asks him point blank if he is, and its hard for Watson to answer. We all know the answer of course.
There is such an interesting twist that is fun to watch play out. That is with Madam Simza Heron's quest to find her missing brother. This takes the "team" to unbelievable adventures and close calls. I loved the tie in also, with Holme's brother, Mycroft Holmes (Stephen Fry). He is so fun and hilarious, and a bit strange of course, but he is a Holmes so what could we expect? How Watson's wife ended up playing a role in the solution to things, was also fun to watch.
Renee, the brother to Madam Simza Heron (Noomi Rapace), ends up being tied in rather deeply to some larger plans, as we realize how diabolical Moriarty is. Things seem to go from bad to worse, with each scenario seeming almost more impossible to overcome than the one before. Finding Renee, means to help defeat Moriarty so they all have common goals together and make quite an impressive team. How it is all interwoven into an larger international conspiracy shows the brilliance of the writers, and the fun that ensues is worth watching. The fate of Europe hangs in the balance. They have to win. However, Holmes comes to realize how the inner workings of the mind of Moriarty is something to reckon with.
I would highly recommend seeing this movie. My son is asking to see it again in the theater and begging his dad and brother to come along as well. There are scenes where the cinematography has you gripping your seat almost literally. The slow motion and how it is captured is simply riveting, leaving you wanting more. Excellent movie, well done all around. I highly recommend it to all, and is my current top choice for best movie.
