Nearly everything about Guy Richie's Sherlock Holmes sequel, A Game Of Shadows, is better than his 2009 original. The plot (a Bond-style yarn which sees Europe being maneuvered to the brink of war) has much more urgency, the villain is now more than a match for ol' Sherlock (virtually every encounter you're led to believe Holmes will lose)and the pace of the story (once it gets going) is much faster paced.
Technically it's stronger too. Guy Richie is let off the leash more often (although still not often enough if you ask me) and gets to play around with ultra-slow motion photography, ramped up frame speeds, split screen and all his usual box of tricks to sensational effect. This is particular showcased in an explosive escape sequence as our heroes are pummeled by artillery fire as they flee through a forest; it's pretty remarkable stuff and leaves you wanting more of the same as the film progresses. The look of the film is grittier and more contemporary, Hans Zimmer's score has more weight and is more robust in the action set-pieces, the effects first rate and the beautifully textured, highly detailed production design awards worthy. Even the cast, especially Stephen Fry as Holmes' amusingly care-free brother and Jared Harris as an intellectually imposing Professor Moriarty give this outing many more flavors than the first film offered.
However, where it falls down for me is it's star. Sherlock Holmes is obviously Downey's attempt at doing an eccentric hero in a period adventure film, much like Johnny Depp did with Pirates The Caribbean; both Depp and Downey get to arse around while everyone else plays it straight. The thing is, while Depp disappeared convincingly into Captain Jack making him feel like part of the world everybody else was living in Downey never really convinces as Sherlock. It's like it's not an eccentric detective but Robert Downey Jr being silly and putting on a foppish English accent. Therefore when he's doing his daft, pantomime shtick with Jude Law the movie grinds to a halt. When he adopts a more serious tone, the film shifts back into gear and the enjoyment begins again.
A rollicking adventure film that needs less arsing around from it's leading man and required even more arsing around by it's director.
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