Originally published by L.S. Media. December 21st 2011.L.S. Media Rating *****

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry, Paul Anderson, Geraldine James.

Everybody has their favourite Sherlock Holmes. It’s a question that gets asked frequently alongside, “So, who is your favourite Bond?” Conversations in pubs go on for hours up and down the country as each generation extols the virtue of, to their mind, the best person to portray the great detective Sherlock Holmes. The one with the best flaws, the little defects that make the man’s mind so fascinating. Of course it could depend on what era you grew up in. To a previous generation before my own, you hear the dulcet tones of Basil Rathbone being mooted, like a fine whisky that’s been kept in a special reserve for 40 years and only opened after a long and protracted battle of wits. There can be no escaping his clutches once you open the bottle.

For many years I would have had no trouble saying Jeremy Brett as the definitive Holmes. Broody, moody, sinister, indecently clever and as a striking a Holmes you could hope for. When compared to Christopher Plummer and Roger Moore, there is no doubting Jeremy Brett had the style and charisma to carry off the part right down to the wire.

Something has happened in the last few years; no longer is there such 100 per cent conviction in my voice as I say the name Brett when asked who my favourite Holmes is.

Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr. have upset the equilibrium. The balance, so firmly rooted for most of my life, has tipped in favour of another. As a devotee of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I should find the latest films an affront to the ideas of the well thought out and brilliantly written stories. Somewhere along the line Guy Ritchie has bewitched me, Jude Law as Dr. Watson has inspired me, (although on this one piece I still hark back to the great Edward Hardwicke as the best Watson) and as for Robert Downey Jr. he has thrilled, enchanted and amazed me with his portrayal of the great man.

The sequel to the 2009’s blockbuster movie, Sherlock Holmes, Game of Shadows hits the ground running and from the off is spellbinding, imaginative, written with style and an element of panache and leaves the audience breathless and with a secret desire for the team behind these two marvellous movies to declare that no matter what, there will be a third instalment.

The attention to detail of the set outside the famous residence is to die for. In the first film the audience were treated to the visual spectacle of the Tower Bridge being built. In this and on a less imposing scale but none the less important to the framework of the film, is the scene involving work men preparing a section of the London Underground. Less imposing certainly but just as important to the world outside of the stories! It shows that Guy Ritchie has thought about this and has carefully shown that the London that people think of at this time was forever changing. It is a character in its own right.

The dynamic between Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. is a film lover’s dream as both men are able to hold the attention of the audience and the camera, in a way that can be sadly lacking in today’s cinematic world. It is easy to see the affection that both men hold for each-others craft and style. Robert Downey Jr. will forever be the maverick, the artist who has promised so much over the years and delivered more than is demanded of him. Whereas Jude Law will be forever effortlessly charming and although some audiences have called him, unfairly, wooden in parts, he comes across as a natural successor to David Niven. Such is his presence in the film it would be impossible to think of anyone playing with such ease against the American actor.

The only let down to the film and it’s a very tiny one initially, is the chronic underuse of Jared Harris as Professor James Moriarty. To hear the very talented actors voice as the calculating Professor sends chills down the spine. It’s his lack of screen time that can be galling and it’s really not till the final climax beside a very well-known waterfall that we see the connection between these two men. Both masters at the mental and imagined game of chess, their relationship is a double edged sword that it can be seen that they are their mirror image. Both selfish, both narcissistic and yet both thoroughly absorbed by the game to notice the depth of their similarity.

Film sequels normally start to show a lack of imagination on the behalf of the writer and producer and it takes a strong person of Guy Ritchie’s calibre to deliver a film of warmth, witty one liners and a plot that will leave you scratching your head in parts. This is exactly the film to beat the winter doldrums, an excellent piece of film making that owes much to Robert Downey Jr. being unfazed by those that deride an American being cast as the ultimate British hero.

Outrageously brilliant!!

Ian D. Hall