Review: Game of Shadows

The most anticipated movie of the Christmas season is Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows which brings Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law back as the world’s greatest detective team Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Along for the ride, but given little to do, is the international sensation Noomi Rapace (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo).

This time Holmes squares off against the seemingly omnipresent villain Professor James Moriarty, a criminal whose genius is perhaps even greater than that of Holmes. Jared Harris (Mad Men) plays evil well (especially as he enjoys his opera–you’ll see). But I found myself comparing him to Daniel Day Lewis, who was originally sought for the role. *(I grant that it was unfair of me to compare, it’s just that Lewis seems more intense and imposing and I wondered how his take may have been different.)

My expectations for this movie were sky-high and I found myself a little bored with the pacing–but then again, Downey’s Sherlock is so fun to have on screen, I found myself grateful for every moment he was on screen. In this outing, Holmes deduces that Moriarty plans to plunge the world into war and Dr. Watson is just trying to get married. Holmes once again, convinces Watson that their “marriage” must come first, and the game is afoot.

I thought the script could have been tighter, could have been better at revealing the tight web of Moriarity (watch “The Usual Suspects” for how it is done), but the final fifteen minutes of the movie made up for any shortcomings in the rest of the film. I left the movie smiling… and that’s more then I can say for almost any other film I’ve seen lately.

Would I like to see Holmes again? It’s elementary, my friends, elementary.

PS. For those of you who can’t get enough Holmes, be sure to check out “Sherlock” from the BBC–available on Netflicks. It’s a modern-day incarnation of Holmes that is simply superb.