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Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
2011
(Guy Ritchie)
, 129 minutes - English
Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Jared Harris
As the movie opens, Holmes and Moriarty (Jared Harris) are already crossing swords, although not directly. That changes when Holmes begins interfering with Moriarty's nefarious schemes. The endgame of the master criminal's plotting is invisible to Holmes, but the immediate results are not. He is using anarchists and an ex-military sharpshooter to carry out assassinations. He is also employing Holmes' "ideal woman," Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), as a messenger; Moriarty is displeased when she fails in a mission as a direct result of Holmes' intervention. Meanwhile, Dr. John Watson (Jude Law), Holmes' assistant and lone friend, is about to embark upon a matrimonial adventure with his beloved Mary (Kelly Reilly). To celebrate the impending nuptials, Holmes (in his duty as the Best Man) arranges a "stag night" for Watson that involves the company of Holmes' elder brother, Mycroft (Stephen Fry), and a lot of drinking. While Watson is playing cards, Holmes visits the gypsy Simza (Noomi Rapace), who may have knowledge about Moriarty's plans. A Game of Shadows contains a number of standout action sequences, including a four-on-one encounter between Holmes and some thugs, a chase-and-escape at Watson's bachelor party, fireworks on a train, a torturous sequence involving a meat hook, and an artillery-impeded race through a forest. There are also plenty of explosions and secondary fights, all of which gel to make this unlike any previous Sherlock Holmes adventure (except its immediate predecessor). Holmes does not wear his deerstalker cap nor utter the word "elementary," but he smokes pipes upon occasion and dresses up like both an elderly lady and the upholstery of a chair. James Berardinelli-ReelViews
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