'Sherlock Holmes:A Game of Shadows'

'Sherlock Holmes:A Game of Shadows' (PG-13) (2 STARS)

Writers: Michele and Kieran Mulroney
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris, Rachel McAdams, Stephen Fry, Kelly Reilly

One of my first reviews on this blog was the original Sherlock Holmes movie and here I still am writing a review of it's sequel much later. In my review of the original I might have under rated the movie. I gave it a rental reccomendation because I loved the interplay between Robert Downey and Jude Law but thought the movie was too long, loud and lackluster. Now with "Sherlock Holmes:A Game of Shadows" I don't even have the the funny Downey/Law dynamic. This is a very long and boring movie and it does nothing to build on the Holmes character.

To me the original movie's story was thin, weak and too convoluted with a villain that hardly showed up. Though Robert Downey was great and funny as Holmes as was Jude Law as Watson. They were much better than the movie and Guy Ritchie's obnoxious direction. I got really tired of the slow motion, overly cut fighting scenes and explosions. Now with the sequel we have a better story but I now got bored with Downey and Law who both seemed cut off from each other. I laughed at their dialogue in the original but never cracked a smile during this pointless sequel.

The sequel has a story that has more depth than the original's plot but is again too convoluted. I also was very dissapointed in the villain here Professor Moriarty who is not as evil as the Moriarty from the older Holmes serials. Jared Harris who plays Moriarty has been more interesting and more evil in other things like TV's "Fringe". That is the fault of the screenplay which also gives us lame "Pink Panther" rip off disguises for Downey including a lame drag costume. This stuff was done much better in movies like "Victor/Victoria". There is also a thankless role for the wonderful Noomi Rapace (Girl With the Dragon Tatoo)who makes no impression here.

"Sherlock Holmes:Game of Shadows" has lost it's franchise's personality and all that is left is it's weak story, villain and it's overkill of slow motion and explosions. I know one thing, I will not review or even think about seeing a third Holmes movie. Two strikes and you are out in my opinion when it comes to movies.

P.S. Much better movies like this are another Holmes movie from the 70's "The 7% Per Cent Solution" and I like the original Sherlock Holmes movie much better.