Decoding Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows: A Movie Review (Blu-Ray)

*a Blu-Ray screener of this film was provided by Warner Bros.

Director: Guy Ritchie.

Writers: Kieran and Michele Mulroney.

Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, and Jared Harris.

The decision is very elementary. When deciding which one of the two films, the first Sherlock Holmes movie or its sequel, Game of Shadows, is better as a Blu-ray release and videophiles may lean towards the second release. The first film’s video release has a small 14min featurette and the second movie says a free iTunes Store application has to be downloaded to complete the package.

As for evaluating which theatrical product is better, the first movie is more of an action-packed romp to introduce the world to director Guy Richie and actor Robert Downey Jr.'s interpretation of the character. While this actor does own the character, the idea of an American playing such an iconic British character may have a few long time fans turning their noses. In the second romp, this film cannot be ignored. The film manages to insert little mystery back to the tale and be less comical. And for everyone else, to see how the battle of two legends of mystery literature pans out on the big screen the battle over Reichenbach Falls really cannot be missed.

Director Guy Richie builds up to that moment quite well. While the tale that writers Kieran and Michele Mulroney create is more appropriate for a spy movie, to see it fit in a Victorian world is unusual. London was a city of contrasts. By day, it’s like a city of worldly sentimentalities coming to light. In horror fiction, the Victorian Age was marginalized as uptight and needing a wake up call. By night, true to it characterization, the city was rife with vagrants and streetwalkers. Some people were afraid to go out and into the fog laden dark.

The cultural identity that this movie shows off is close, but it does not show the conflicts that the social classes had between the wealthy and the poor. It neglects to mention Moriarty’s (Jared Harris) rise to power. When considering how often Holmes is found amongst the lower class, spying on others or just gathering some facts, it’s no surprise that he’s finding that there is a criminal underground movement being led by the Napoleon of Crime.

Also, Moriarty has a bigger game plan: he wants to start a world war so he can reap the profits. He has all the makings to be a great James Bond style of villain and Harris does a stand up job in the role. Holmes may do well to be a super spy, but MI5 is not ready to recruit him yet; the organization has yet to form.

But this master detective has enough problems on his plate. Dr. Watson is about to marry and that means the loss of a companion for Holmes. Many other products have featured the duo as chums, but in Game of Shadows, their partnership has become estranged. More often than not, each of them gets on the other’s case far too often. Downey Jr. and Law seem shine quite well when they express their frustration for each other on screen rather than off. Despite claims made by media about the friendship forged during the making of the first movie, some observers may have to wonder if these two actually got along during the production of the second.

They will have to work together again for a third movie. Hopefully that will mean that Ritchie intended to make a trilogy. When everything is done and over with, the video releases can get repackaged to a more definitive collection that will be worth owning.

As a standalone product, why Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows insists on an iTunes app (restricting the tablet marketplace), is a mystery upon itself. The material could have easily been added to the Blu-ray disc than made separately. The extras are slim. The Blu-ray release has a Maximum Movie Mode which has the lead performers and production crew telling light details about the behind the scenes production of the film.

After the third film finally releases, the movies can be repackaged into a definitive collection. With most of Doyle's prose about this famous detective in the public domain, the rights should be easy to secure. To own a masterworks collection which includes the original fictional works is far more alluring than a follow-along of storyboards from an iPad to screen.

Overall: 7 out of 10.

The film at Warner Bros. w/trailer:

Sherlock Holmes Game of Shadows at Warner Bros.


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