Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - (December 16, 2011): PG-13
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Opening Weekend Box Office: #1 with $39,637,079
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $49,725,274
Gross Revenue: $64,325,274
Production Budget: $125 million
Director: Guy Ritchie
Between a billionaire industrialist superhero and an eccentric turn-of-the-century detective, Robert Downey Jr. has been living every actors dream, juggling two insanely successful film franchises and embodying two iconic characters…the only other Hollywood legend that come close to relating is Harrison Ford, who will always be known as both Indiana Jones and Han Solo. When Sherlock Holmes was released in 2009, it experienced surprisingly high levels of critical and commercial success, all the while hinting at potential for numerous follow-up sequels, so it was only a matter of time until audiences were presented with A Game of Shadows. The return of Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, and director Guy Ritchie was more than enough to build high levels of buzz, but two new cast-members were also generating considerable interest; Mad Men’s Jared Harris would have his hands full tackling the character of Professor Moriarty, but newcomer Noomi Rapace was a definite question mark. Best known as Lisbeth Salander from the Swedish film version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Rapace’s inclusion in her first English-language film was sure to catch the attention of fans of the wildly-popular book, especially since the Hollywood adaptation would be in theaters concurrently. During the notoriously busy and competitive Holiday Movie Season, Warner Bros. was undeniably banking on audience familiarity with and adoration of the original to sell tickets, and as a huge fan myself, I had no doubt that many would be thrilled to see Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
Set shortly after the original, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows opens with Europe coming to grips with rising tensions between France and Germany, which are being aggravated by a series of terrorist bombings. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) is convinced that these attacks are linked and being controlled by an outside source, and the clues point to one Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris), who is revealed to be Irene Adler’s (Rachel McAdams) mysterious employer from the first film. After Holmes sabotages another attempting bombing, Moriarty kills Adler for her failure in his plot and sets about eliminating the threat that the eccentric detective provides. When Holmes confronts Moriarty, the devious academic threatens the welfare of Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) and his new wife, Mary (Kelly Reilly), and so, with help from his brother, Mycroft (Stephen Fry), Sherlock sets out to save his friends. Resolving that no one is safe until Moriarty is stopped, Holmes and Watson set out to uncover the ruthless villain’s plans, which involve targeting a mysterious gypsy, Simza (Noomi Rapace), and laying the groundwork for a war, the likes of which the world has never seen.
Well, it should come as absolutely no surprise that the best part of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is Robert Downey Jr. himself, who amplifies every single aspect of the title character’s distinctive personality that charmed audiences in the original, proving that this is the role he was born to play. Never has blatant narcissism blended with eccentric and manic behavior in such an enjoyable way, whether that involves Holmes sizing up an opponent before he dispatches him with remarkable prowess, slyly observing an environment to pick apart as many clues as possible, or bantering with Dr. Watson during a stag party and humorously espousing the pitfalls of marriage. Speaking of Dr. Watson, Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. make the perfect on-screen tag-team, building on the dependent brotherhood established in the original and evolving the relationship…not to downplay Stephen Fry’s enjoyable performance as Mycroft Holmes, but it is pretty clear who is closest to Sherlock. When it comes to villains, few in recent memory have been as stoically menacing and coolly threatening as Stephen Fry’s brilliant Professor Moriarty, who is such an intellectual equal to Holmes that the tense standoffs between the two are unbelievably charged…the mental battle and ensuing physical breakdown that the two engage in during the narrative’s climax is easily the strongest scene in the film. Now, for as strong as A Game of Shadows is, I know that fans will invariably try and weigh it against the original, but in spite of surpassing certain aspects, some differences may not be as easily accepted.
The first and most apparent difference between A Game of Shadows and the first Sherlock Holmes is that this sequel places a much stronger focus on no-holds-barred action as opposed to paced intellect. Make no mistake, the fighting scenes and chase sequences are thrilling and accentuated by stylish slow-motion camera work, but some of the distinct style and finesse of the original is clearly missing. Such an absence is not necessarily a bad thing, as the story and mystery of the sequel is considerably easier to follow and does not require having seen the first entry. With Sherlock Holmes, the film had to be seen twice out of the necessity and task of understanding the narrative, but with A Game of Shadows, audiences will want to see the film again out of the sheer desire to revisit the enjoyment of the adventure and further clarify a few plot points, thereby catching a few more lines of the clever dialogue. So, even though A Game of Shadows is stronger than its predecessor in a few ways, such comparison cannot stand, as the two are different but still strongly enjoyable and well-made films…I cannot wait for more.
From a box office perspective, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows may have taken the top spot its opening weekend with $39.6 million, but the film still fell victim to the sobering trend of declining theater attendance. Now, some may scoff at this sequel’s numbers, as it represents a 36% drop from the original’s opening weekend, but it must be noted that overall theater attendance for that particular weekend has dipped to its lowest in 16 years. Hopefully, with strong buzz, positive critical acclaim, and a solid international presence, A Game of Shadows will be able to make up some lost ground over the holidays and cover the substantial production budget. Still, the sub-par opening has to be a little disconcerting considering the sheer volume of titles hitting theaters in the next few days, the most notable entries being the wide-release of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, and the much-hyped The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In the end, if you are a fan of Robert Downey Jr.’s, an adamant fan of the original, or just someone who is curious about all the praise surrounding this character, then Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows represents a fantastic sequel that will not disappoint.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
