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This second installment in the Sherlock Holmes frachise has many of the same flaws, but manages to dim the lights without losing its charm and humour...
There’s a well-documented tendency for big-budget franchises to dim the lights for their inevitable sequels. It didn’t start with Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, but the success of that particular method certainly solidified the widespread perception that a follow-up to a moneymaking action-adventure property must be darker, grittier and ask bigger questions.
That last one is by no means a bad thing, but a balance must also be struck. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows rises to the task admirably, even if the problems of the first film are still there. With Batman, everything was already a little dark, but other movie series, such as Sherlock Holmes, have the task of balancing the humour and lightness that made the first films so popular, with a new-found depth that tests the themes and characters of the film to their limits.
It can go horribly wrong, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest being a case in point, but films like Spider-Man 2 and X2 improved on their first outings exponentially. While not as wide a gap between the quality of the two films, Shadows thankfully belongs in the latter camp. We travel with the same characters, watching the same visual ticks of director Guy Ritchie, but the relationships are slightly stronger, the actors more comfortable, and the script sharper.
The story this time around is a little convoluted, and you may find you’ve stopped following at around the halfway point. The truth is, this doesn’t really matter and does nothing to lessen the adrenaline-fuelled enjoyment to be had, as set piece after set piece catapults the action up to eleven. Of course, the complaints of incomprehensible fight scenes are still valid, but they give way more often than not to exciting chase sequences. You don’t need to know the ins and outs of the bad guy’s master plan, as Holmes will figure it out for you.
Robert Downey Jr appears totally at home in the role, seemingly glad to be back in the company of ‘bromance’ partner Jude Law, a real-life partnership the advertising and publicity for the film seems eager to push. Watching their interactions on-screen, it’s tempting to believe the hype, as the unique selling point of the first movie (and Sherlock Holmes adaptations in general) is still apparent. Rarely is a franchise allowed to focus solely on the relationship between two men, especially one as outwardly homoerotic as this one, without the interjection of a female presence.
Of course, there are some girls around, but they are nowhere near as visible as before. Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) is disposed of very quickly, Mary Watson (Kelly Reilly) sidelined shortly after her wedding, and Noomi Rapace’s Sim barely gets a look in at all. The action of the film is very entertaining, but the real draw for this property is the central relationship, and it’s one that has been built upon since last time. Every interaction is compelling; every word said layered with multiple meaning. It must have been tempting to tone down the subtext for such a high-profile adaptation, but instead the film wears it on its sleeve.
But the real selling point for this sequel is the introduction of Moriarty (Jared Harris), a man matched to Holmes in almost every way. The scenes they share together are the films strongest, and allow Downey Jr to flex his acting muscles with more dramatic material than is contained in the rest of the movie. Harris does a great job with the high-pressure role, appearing poised and graceful in the same way that Holmes is never allowed to be. We’re also afforded Stephen Fry’s portrayal of Mycroft Holmes, a role seemingly designed for the actor to add some light relief.
Though still not fully living up it’s potential, this cinematic outing is a worthy addition to the Holmes-saturated landscape we find ourselves in. I don’t believe that Downey Jr is a better fit for the character than, say, Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC’s Sherlock) or Hugh Laurie (House MD), but he provides a vital channel for a wide audience to connect to an impossible man. The performances range from serviceable to stellar, and A Game of Shadows deserves to be put with other superior sequels that have the balls to build upon their predecessors.
That last one is by no means a bad thing, but a balance must also be struck. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows rises to the task admirably, even if the problems of the first film are still there. With Batman, everything was already a little dark, but other movie series, such as Sherlock Holmes, have the task of balancing the humour and lightness that made the first films so popular, with a new-found depth that tests the themes and characters of the film to their limits.
It can go horribly wrong, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest being a case in point, but films like Spider-Man 2 and X2 improved on their first outings exponentially. While not as wide a gap between the quality of the two films, Shadows thankfully belongs in the latter camp. We travel with the same characters, watching the same visual ticks of director Guy Ritchie, but the relationships are slightly stronger, the actors more comfortable, and the script sharper.
The story this time around is a little convoluted, and you may find you’ve stopped following at around the halfway point. The truth is, this doesn’t really matter and does nothing to lessen the adrenaline-fuelled enjoyment to be had, as set piece after set piece catapults the action up to eleven. Of course, the complaints of incomprehensible fight scenes are still valid, but they give way more often than not to exciting chase sequences. You don’t need to know the ins and outs of the bad guy’s master plan, as Holmes will figure it out for you.
Robert Downey Jr appears totally at home in the role, seemingly glad to be back in the company of ‘bromance’ partner Jude Law, a real-life partnership the advertising and publicity for the film seems eager to push. Watching their interactions on-screen, it’s tempting to believe the hype, as the unique selling point of the first movie (and Sherlock Holmes adaptations in general) is still apparent. Rarely is a franchise allowed to focus solely on the relationship between two men, especially one as outwardly homoerotic as this one, without the interjection of a female presence.
Of course, there are some girls around, but they are nowhere near as visible as before. Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) is disposed of very quickly, Mary Watson (Kelly Reilly) sidelined shortly after her wedding, and Noomi Rapace’s Sim barely gets a look in at all. The action of the film is very entertaining, but the real draw for this property is the central relationship, and it’s one that has been built upon since last time. Every interaction is compelling; every word said layered with multiple meaning. It must have been tempting to tone down the subtext for such a high-profile adaptation, but instead the film wears it on its sleeve.
But the real selling point for this sequel is the introduction of Moriarty (Jared Harris), a man matched to Holmes in almost every way. The scenes they share together are the films strongest, and allow Downey Jr to flex his acting muscles with more dramatic material than is contained in the rest of the movie. Harris does a great job with the high-pressure role, appearing poised and graceful in the same way that Holmes is never allowed to be. We’re also afforded Stephen Fry’s portrayal of Mycroft Holmes, a role seemingly designed for the actor to add some light relief.
Though still not fully living up it’s potential, this cinematic outing is a worthy addition to the Holmes-saturated landscape we find ourselves in. I don’t believe that Downey Jr is a better fit for the character than, say, Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC’s Sherlock) or Hugh Laurie (House MD), but he provides a vital channel for a wide audience to connect to an impossible man. The performances range from serviceable to stellar, and A Game of Shadows deserves to be put with other superior sequels that have the balls to build upon their predecessors.
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