Such a frustrating disappointment

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

In 2009 Sherlock Holmes was re-imagined by Guy Ritchie as an ass- kicking and mentally unstable private investigator with a weakness for a variety of mind-altering substances. Played by Robert Downey Jr., Holmes was Iron Man without the vast fortune, super-suit and fashionable beard, but with the same genius-level intellect, capable of predicting the exact outcome of a fight with a foe before the first punch is thrown. Though heavily compromised by Ritchie's sledgehammer subtlety and love for annoying Cockney geezers, it was still an entertaining take on an extremely familiar character, with Downey Jr. at his twitchy best and demonstrating a convincing English accent.A Game of Shadows, the bloated sequel rushed into production after the international success of its predecessor, turns the doctor from idiosyncratic eccentric to a babbling pantomime. When we meet Holmes, he is rescuing his flame Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) from a bomb intended for somebody else. The package was given to her by the scheming Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris), and after her next meeting with him, she disappears. On the eve of his wedding, Dr. Watson (Jude Law) arrives at Baker Street to find Holmes deep into investigating a splurge of seemingly unrelated murders and business acquisitions linked to Moriarty, and at Watson's bachelor party, the two encounter a gypsy woman named Simza (Noomi Rapace), the intended recipient of the letter that accompanied the bomb.Without any sign of the storytelling flair of the books, A Game of Shadows becomes little more than a series of punch-ups, shoot-outs and inane exchanges between Holmes and his trusted Watson. At one point, the heroes are fired at by an increasingly ridiculous arsenal of machine guns as trees shatter and fireballs explode around them in ultra slo-mo. Any resemblance to one of literatures most beloved characters is lost, and it feels instead like you're watching a movie about The Transporter's British granddad, albeit with a touch more style. Mad Men's Harris is impressive as Holmes's most challenging foe, but Rapace's character is so redundant that she is reduced to just a pretty face for the poster. Shockingly, the main problem is Downey Jr., whose hyperactive shtick is as tiresome as the plot he is caught up in.

I didn't like the first SHERLOCK HOLMES film very much at all, so I had little hope for this sequel. Unfortunately, it's even worse than the original, moving further away from the source material in a bid to deliver big bucks, action packed excitement. Downey Jr. plays Holmes as a superhero type in a Victorian setting, utilising his physical prowess and mental skills in a bid to bring down some typically shadowy villains.First of all, for an action film, the action is very poor. A GAME OF SHADOWS was made during a trend for ultra slow motion in cinema, and the slow motion sequences are ridiculous. I don't know if they're meant to be edge of the seat or exciting, but despite the cutting edge technology they look very fake and the CGI augmentation is all too obvious.Downey Jr.'s acting here is rather pitiful and his Holmes is required to cross dress and do other stuff that's about as far away from the spirit of the literary Holmes as is possible. Jude Law and Jared Harris work hard in support, but Noomi Rapace's fortune teller is out of place and Rachel McAdams remains awful. The worst thing about all this though is the nonsensical script, which turns realistic detective fiction into teen-friendly grandiose fantasy that remains frequently incomprehensible.

The first film of this series was for me of average quality, the kind of movie that felt like a generic Hollywood action adventure movie labelled as Sherlock Holmes. A Game of Shadows is however in my opinion a level up from the first instalment and a movie that is just generally funnier, better done action wise and all in all just generally much more thrilling. It isn't necessarily massively new and refreshing and can at times be pretty basic but take nothing away from this, this is a blockbuster done well. It again of course stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson of which both are on the trail of that most famous of Holmes villains, Moriarty. It excels in most part at getting the fighting done in a way which at least at times can feel pretty nice, nice in a way where it feels real of course. The slow motion used in certain scenes is fantastic, an addition that not only just makes parts of the movie more exciting but also it shows Guy Ritchie can do action very well indeed. As for Ritchie well he directs this kind of similar to the first one in the way it's paced but brings more out of the actors and characters they play, as mentioned it feels funnier and more thrilling and that is really down to Ritchie knowing what was needed to be done.Additions to the cast like Stephen Fry, Jared Harris and Noomi Rapace do little to take away the staring role Downey, Jr. has but nevertheless I think they are good additions and make up a cast that is well put together. RDJ even sounds better in this one, I felt with the first he quite often mumbled and his lines came out at a frantic pace but in this he although can be a little too fast, still makes a better go of it. Jude Law as Watson is better as well and although neither is brilliant here they are good enough to not ruin this movie or rob it of any of its credibility. The film can drag just a tiny bit toward the end and they do a decent job of not letting your attention drop, it does start to get more basic toward the end plot wise but by the end I felt satisfied enough. The score of Hans Zimmer + Lorne Balfe makes the action not only more pumped up but just generally sounds good, you can always count on both but especially Zimmer to create something pretty nice. The film can actually think itself pretty smart at times especially with the thought process Holmes goes to when just about to fight, of course if you see the first movie you are used to it but it still feels a little gimmicky how it is done and played out afterwards.So overall Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is one movie that is good and I think an improvement over the first one that felt so mediocre. Guy Ritchie hones in on his craft and truly makes something that although of course is big and can be typically blockbuster, is still a fun adventure and one that I think most can just about partly enjoy at the very least. Oh and the cinematography, it is really well done actually and the movie is also pretty well edited, the story flows very nicely and the way it looks especially in more fast moving or fighting scenes is one that is very good especially.

As a Holmes fan, I couldn't have asked for a better take on the stories and the character of Holmes & Dr. Watson. Robert Downey Jr & Jude Law make their roles come alive with such élan that you just refuse to believe that anyone else could take on these roles. The only cast member who I felt was out of place was Jared Harris who acted as Professor James Moriarty. Somehow, I felt the role need someone more cold, calm yet menacing, and deep. Holmes' relationship with Watson is highlighted in this film. Their chemistry is hilariously funny as there are a few scenes involving Holmes dressed as a woman that brings the comedy to its peak with the lines "lie with me Watson". The action scenes were awesomely backed by beautiful cinematography. Some of the scenes help build a connection between the character and audience. For instance, when Holmes's sees everything as he says his curse; it engages the viewer on his personal thoughts. The train ride to Watson's honeymoon & the one with face-off between Moriarty & Holmes are my favourites. The movie ends with a hint of the next sequel. It has been some time since the game of shadows has released. I really am looking forward to the next Sherlock Holmes movie in this series.