A Blunder of a Sequel

Rating: 2/10 (27 December 2011)

Sorry Holmes fans, but this one falls flat on its face. And breaks its nose. And then gets kicked in the gut.
It's as if Guy Richie took courses from Michael Bay on how to make a typical American movie: Think about the cool special effects first and try to build a story around them after...though, really, the story is not that important.
After an astonishingly good first instalment that featured top-notch acting, storytelling AND great special effects (and despite Rachel McAdams), Holmes returns for another caper with Jude Law's Watson in tow. This time, they are facing Professor Moriarty. What the movie is really about is hard to say, however, as the script was so weak, it kept getting lost in the line of fiery explosions, effects and Downey Jr. in drag.
Were the special effects good? Sure...but we saw similar ones in the first one which were not really improved upon, and the fact that there was more story, less effects last time made them all the more impressive. This time around, you are beaten over the head with them and left wondering what they were trying to get across in the first place.
Yes, Holmes has a misfire. With Downey's acting wasted on a second-rate script (if you could call it that), the two-year wait for this dismal sequel was a waste. We can only hope they learn from this, though a third instalment couldn't get much worse. Unless it's actually directed by Michael Bay.