Boring and unable to hold my attention.

Rating: 5/10 (23 May 2020)

If the first film was relatively pleasant and positively entertaining, this film is a complete disappointment. Boring from start to finish, it brings no intriguing mystery and merely turns the most famous English detective into a relatively eccentric action figure.
If one of the biggest problems of the first film, for me, was the anachronism of the characters, too 21st century in their behaving for the Victorian era, the problem of this film is different, although the weight of anachronism is also felt. For me, the biggest problem here is a poorly written script, without an intriguing mystery to solve in which we can follow the protagonists. In fact, the film explains everything right from the beginning, and everything that comes after is a kind of search for evidence, where Holmes tries everything to prove Moriarty's culpability in the bombings and his intention of provoking a war. That is not enough for me.
The cast is generally good. Again, Robert Downey Jr. is the star and does his job well, despite the degree of eccentricity and unlikelihood of his character. Here, if flaws existed, they were due to the material he received and not to his work. On the positive side, I highlight Jude Law, very good in a more discreet and naturally British character; Noomi Rapace was a good addition also, and looks gypsy enough to look credible; Jared Harris is an excellent Moriarty, as cold, cultured and brilliant as required by the character. Stephen Fry and Kelly Reilly are average: they made good performances but their characters, despite the important support given, seem very limited and appear only in specific moments. Besides, they both had problems: Reilly looked bad in that costume and Fry was pompous to the point of being annoying. On the negative side, I highlight Rachel McAdams' very expendable cameo, Paul Anderson's little relevance and Eddie Marsan's marginalization, with the actor being demoted to the role of an extra.
Technically, the film is excellent and has very high production values and a lot of money clearly invested. Cinematography is very pleasant, although there are moments when the use of slow motion was unnecessary. Good colors, good filming work and a pleasant look, together with sets and costumes usually according to the time and the environment, deserve a very positive note of attention and contribute to making this film palatable and visually elegant. There is a lot of imagination in all and credibility is a problem that could be felt. The pace is good, even better than in the first film, but the soundtrack, despite being good enough, is not that good nor does it bring news, seeming to have been entirely recycled from the first film.
Personally, I expected more. Despite being a little far-fetched, with some anachronistic characters and other small problems, what really displeased me was the lack of a good plot that would hold my attention.