At The Movies

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (PG) * * * *


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By ROBERT WALDMAN


All bets are off and the stakes are raised sky high in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, a smart continuation of the new series from Warner Brothers now bursting out at the Esplanade 6, Empire Studio 12, Colossus and Cineplex Odeon Theatres across B.C.
Warner Brothers returns to fine form with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Edgy director Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) lets loose with a monumentally fun film that rocks for 129 minutes. Blessed with a great cast who all seem to be having a grand old time of it all this second in the “updated” Holmes series is full of sparks and spunk and an admirable counter to the traditional 1940s classic Universal Basil Rathbone Nigel Watson inspiration.
Here good old Holmes and Watson lock horns with a madman out to, what else, conquer the world. Both Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) and Jude Law (Alfie) are great together getting into and out of trouble with nary a moment to relax – let along get married. Poor old Dr. John Watson has a pending marriage side-tracked thanks to the evil machinations of one Professor James Moriarty. Bad in the best classic evil tradition is Jared Harris (Natural Born Killers) who just oozes evil beneath the service as a suave and calculating teacher of higher learning bent on making mayhem on a grand scale. Europe is in the cross-hairs of Moriarty’s dastardly plans and only one man – Sherlock Holmes – can stop him. Trusty Watson is also around on more than one occasion to help his best buddy out.
Full of rocking special effects and thankfully no 3-D elements Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is at times tricky to follow. Stay with all the ramifications and you’ll be richly rewarded as the pacing here is superb and as always Downey Jr. is clever as can be and a delight to go on the journey with which has a global flavour to it. Romance and danger are everywhere here with two nubile women also around and pivotal parts to this scintillating plot.
Canadian superstar Rachel McAdams (Red Eye) lends her charms as Irene Adler, another scheming vixen able and willing to toy with Holmes’ heart while The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’s own Noomi Rapace goes undercover as mysterious gypsy woman Madam Simza Heron. Even humour gets tossed into the mix with Stephen Fry (V for Vendetta) suitably oafish as an older statesman of sorts.
Mystery, suspense, danger, romance, philosophy and science all come together brilliantly in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, an explosive wild and enjoyable escapist fantasy that proves that good writing and Robert Downey Jr. go hand in hand in creating magic on the silver screen.