Film Review: Robert Downey Jr. Personifies ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’

CHICAGO – The production team of “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” – designers, crew, writers, director and actors – should be proud of the level of respect they have given and embodied in delivering an updated Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Professor Moriarty and the like. They take liberties, of course, but they also make sure that the truth of the characters are always intact.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The latest film in series is the second one, and its footing is much more sure than the first. This is a rousing adventure tale with high stakes, yet the story never overlooks the key to the Sherlock Holmes universe – the detective himself. It is still his powers of deduction, observation and deception that are utilized to solve the case, and this latest caper has symbolic components that reach from its setting in the year 1891 through the 20th and 21st centuries.

As the plot unfolds, there have been some mysterious and political bombings all around London. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) is undercover to figure out the origin of the terrorism, and thwarts an attempted bombing on an auction house. That day also happens to be the eve of a wedding in which Holmes is standing up as best man. His loyal companion, Dr. John Watson (Jude Law), wants Holmes to give him a stag party, but the detective only succeeds in muddying up the matrimonial waters.

He needs John Watson on his latest case. His mortal enemy, Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), is building a new industry in secret, one that could produce untold riches. Complicating matters is Watson’s betrothed, Mary (Kelly Reilly), who obviously wants the good doctor on the honeymoon, and Sherlock’s brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry), who seems like an ally except when he’s not. Together this rag-tag bunch of adventurers will travel from Britain to France to Switzerland to stop the evil Moriarty from gaining the upper hand.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows” [16]

Jude Law as Dr. Watson and Robert Downey Jr. as the Title Detective in ‘Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows’ Photo credit: Daniel Smith for Warner Bros. Pictures

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows” [16]