Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows

Sherlock Holmes faces off against his nemesis, Professor Moriarty, in a fierce battle of the mind…and the fists and guns and explosions…
A Game of Shadows (2011) is the second installment of Guy Ritchie’s take on the world’s most famous sleuth and once again Sherlock Holmes is transformed into a Victorian James Bond. Not only is he solving cases, he is also fighting, running, jumping away from explosions, and all that other Hollywood goodness. Is that a bad thing? No, not really, although it may not suit the traditional image of Sherlock Holmes, it does work. Both movies have been tremendously successful. And Robert Downey Jr. is pretty damn good at what he does. The role of a genius, thrill-seeking madman suits him very well, as he has proven in the previous Sherlock Holmes and in the Iron Man movies. Of course not all credit goes to him. His chemistry with Jude Law, playing Dr. John Watson, makes this movie truly entertaining to watch. Those two bring us from a burst of laughter to the edge of our seats, and I couldn’t imagine anyone replacing either of them.

In this movie our favorite Detective and his trusted sidekick have to take on Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), a mastermind, whose intelligent rivals that of Holmes himself, that decided to use his intellectual capacities for evil. Alongside all the action I have mentioned before, we also get to witness a thrilling battle of the mind between Holmes and Moriarty, each trying to outsmart the other. Holmes’ nemesis is not only brilliant, but he has a talent for elaborate schemes, and seems to be missing a conscience, making him an adequate rival. He even appears to have the upper hand most of the time. The epic battle between both mad geniuses culminates in one final moment, which I won’t reveal here for obvious reasons. I was happy that Guy Ritchie chose Jared Harris for the role of Moriarty, because Harris just radiates both wit and evil. He makes a terrific antagonist.

In conclusion, this is a pretty decent movie. It has a solid script, good action and thrilling battles, all garnished with a good amount of humor. However, the best thing about this movie is the choice of actors. If Ritchie did one thing right, it was picking the correct actor for each role. They really are what make this movie, and its predecessor, the successes they have been.

Leave me a comment with your thoughts on the review, or on the movie itself. I’d love to hear what you guys have to say. If you have any movies you want me to review, send me an e-mail at: nuggettreviews@gmail.com

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