Review of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) by Barney O — 12 Apr 2017

WHAT I LIKED: Guy Ritchie's first Sherlock Holmes was a bit of a surprise, and strangely enough, his second attempt is too. Now what it does so successfully is to update the great aspects of its predecessor's style in a slicker manor to deliver an experience that's slightly less gritty but even more fun. That's enhanced mostly by a solidifying of Ritchie's refined vision, but it's also achieved with an overall increase in action and humour throughout. That gives many of the appealing elements of quirkiness a chance to properly shine, and puts Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law in exceedingly amusing territory.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Some of the character ground-work is lost, and whilst the plot is more developed, it is now dizzyingly complicated.

VERDICT: A sequel that refines itself and generally ups the anti; 'A Game of Shadows' is a successful sequel from Guy Ritchie. Surely he needs to head for Pirates of the Caribbean now.