The most fun I've had all year. Even a simple game of chess becomes enough to put you on the edge.

Rating: 8/10 (17 February 2012)

In case you don't already know my thoughts on the first Sherlock Holmes, I loved it. I loved its fresh take on the literary detective, I loved how Guy Ritchie's directorial flourishes fit wonderfully with the mind of Sherlock, I loved the slick action and fantastic production values, and I loved the wonderful chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Bigger, but not quite better than the first film, A Game of Shadows features everything I liked and disliked about feature one, and it's about as good a December blockbuster as you can get.
Like the first film, the film is light on plot, occasionally uneven, and a tad more confusing if you're not paying full attention. However, Ritchie continues to show what a great fit his stylistics are for this movie, and the action, which is perfectly paced, staged, and choreographed, continues to thrill and astonish. The friendship between Holmes and Watson continues to set the screen ablaze, but begins to play things up more. Producer Joel Silver once said that Downey and Law's chemistry had this "Butch and Sundance" quality to it, and he was right. Their chemistry is the main attraction, absolutely electrifying, surprisingly emotional, and often quite funny, occasionally hysterically so.
Though, with the exception of the film's villain, the supporting cast isn't quite as strong. Jared Harris couldn't have been anymore brilliantly cast as Professor Moriarty, but Sim, the film's leading lady, isn't very much of an improvement over Irene Adler, even if Noomi Rapace has a bit more to chew on than Rachel McAdams did. Still, the film is beautifully designed. Sarah Greenwood's stylish production design is gorgeous, Phillippe Rousselot's cinematography is ever so flowing, the costumes are beautifully realized by Jenny Beavan (who, in my opinion, provided the best costumes of any film in 2009 for the first Sherlock Holmes), and Hans Zimmer raises the pulse and fun with his exciting musical score.
Prognosis: A light, refreshing piece of popcorn entertainment. Probably the most fun I've had with any 2011 movie. When even a simple game of chess is enough to put you on the edge, you know you're in for a good time.
*** out of ****