Nothing Up My Sleeve ( Or In My Head ), Dear Watson!

Rating: 5/10 (20 December 2011)

This film is not recommended.
Those crazy cut-ups are back! Yes, in the tradition of Laurel & Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and Martin & Lewis comes Holmes and Watson, once again in a rip-roaring comedy adventure romp that brings thrills and action to the forefront while leaving reason and logic in its dust. This sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, continues the revisionist mode that made the first film so very popular. While it's not to my personal purist taste, the film is mildly diverting but elementarily unsatisfying.
Yes, it's more of the same formula as the last installment: a mystery is afoot, solved not so much by the powers of reason and deduction. Instead, it's the explosions, gunfire, disguises, comic shenanigans, and some minor sleuthing on the side with a decidedly modern twist for today's younger audiences that embodies this Sherlock Holmes. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprise their roles as the resourceful Sherlock and his doctor friend and their gimmicky misadventures ensue.
The plot this time around concerns the evil Professor Moriarty ( a formidable Jared Harris ) who wants to profit from the war any illegal way he can. It's not that deep or though- provoking. In fact, it's simplistic, obvious, and not the least bit involving. The script has its creative limits, with its anachronistic joking and puns. Previously the first film introduced elements of the the occult which made that film hackneyed and tired. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows leaves those elements behind and now it tries to wisely plays up the political drama and intrigue on a more realistic scale. Unfortunately, this sequel is even more simplistic, obvious, and less interesting than its predecessor.
Of course, it's still up to Holmes and Watson to stop the villainous professor. Of course, it's still the exquisitely detailed sets and high octane set pieces that are the series' trademarks to success. Of course, it's still the frenzied editing of the film that invigorates the mystery. But the film, though technically adept, is a muddled mess in the script department. The true culprit is not Moriarty, it's screenwriters Michele and Kieran Mulroney who are to blame for their less than stellar contribution to this series.
All of the expert direction is by Guy Ritchie, who again helms this franchise. But he cannot disguise the gaping holes of logic and inconclusive storytelling. Ritchie knows how to keep the action flowing with his stylish kinetic movement and stop action techniques ( which become far too repetitive and overstay their welcome ). Nothing ever lulls. This is robust filmmaking and there's no time to think about any loopholes with the script or its characters. It's ADHD time, fast, loose, and impulsive. Keep it moving by all means possible.
Perhaps one sequence, a beautifully choreographed montage of still images and action shots, provides a clue to the film's visceral adrenaline rush and its lack of emotional connection and build-up. The high point of the film comes as our heroes try to escape an attack in the forest, bullets ricochet off the trees in an almost slo-mo ballet of sorts as the figures weave and dance around the exploding shards of wood. The fragmenting in this woodland environ is exquisitely photographed by Philippe Rousselot and enhanced by the Hans Zimmer's musical score. One can admire the imagery in this scene and many others. Yet this overall effect continually undercuts any tension or suspense and distances the moviegoer from any real integration to the non-stop action on the screen.
The actors seem to be relishing their roles and hoping the moviegoers like the film's tongue- in-cheek humor and daredevil stunts. Their "bromance" continues in the capable hands of pros like Downey and Law. Their chemistry remains palpable and their comic timing cannot be faulted. While there are some weaknesses with some of the other cast members, particularly an underused Noomi Rapace and overindulgent Stephen Fry as mere comic relief, they really never advance the plot but they don't interfere with the escapist mood of the film either.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a game of deception, but not of shadows as its title may suggest. Instead, the film plays a game of smoke and mirrors with the audience, trying to grab their attention although it really has no substance or clear vision in its empty head. Its sleight-of-hand may manipulate some critics or moviegoers with its cheap thrills, but its visual tricks are slight indeed. GRADE: C+
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