Some movies I stumble upon, I didn't ever mean to see them but I actually end up watching them at the theater anyway. Sometimes it's cause my Mom wants to see a movie so I go with her. While this may sound bad it actually introduced me to some really good and fun films like Pirates of the Caribbean (the first one) and The Incredibles (before I knew how good Pixar was). Sometimes I go to theater expecting one film and I end up seeing another, which is how I saw Kung-Fu Panda 2 which was surprisingly good. This time I was going to the theater to see Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol and ended up being late so I had to se Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows to pass the time. I had slept through the first one but the scenes that I was awake for I found somewhat entertaining so I thought I would give the second one a chance.
This Guy Ritchie flick stars a few years after the first film as Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return to replay their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. As the film begins, Watson is a newlywed which Holmes is resist to. Unfortunately, a new villain is on the block in the form of Professor James Moriarty who is bent on creating world chaos and war. As Professor Moriarty's plans grow bigger and more dangerous, Holmes and Watson must stop Watson's honeymoon early to find out the Professor's plans stop him before he can become successful.
Game Of Shadows feels a lot like the first Sherlock Holmes and in fact it stands pretty close to the original in everything from editing, camerawork, cinematography, and style. In some ways you want a sequel to be different like in Empire Strikes Back or The Dark Knight so that it can stand alone on its own and bring something to the series. While sticking to a formula can sometimes be a good thing, it doesn't work here in Game Of Shadows.
Like I said earlier, the first one was unable to keep my attention and I dozed off throughout it. Though from what I watched I enjoyed it and found it somewhat entertaining. In this sequel's case, it wasn't the same. I found myself constantly waiting for something interesting and intriguing to bring me back into the story. I found that the times the movie was trying to be funny it wasn't and the action was begging for more. Even the emotional parts of the film feel very forced, unrealistic, and unemotional. May I note that this film includes the worst "almost death" scene I have ever seen that almost ruined the film for me.
Especially being from the same director who did Snatch. and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels you would expect the action to be more grabbing at my attention. The slow motion scenes are plentiful, just like in the first, and I felt that it was a bit over used. There are two scenes that go inside the firing of a gun, another the firing of a cannon, that are really interesting that I enjoyed watching. The rest of the slow motion scenes unfortunately take away from the rest and hurt the film. It feels forced and doesn't add anything to the film.
The ultimate tragedy of this film though is a hard one for filmmakers to hear: forgettable. In the end, this film didn't leave me wanting for me and more importantly I didn't want to go back to watch some more. I didn't want to suggest it to anyone and regretted spending the money on it.
Still the bottom line is this, if you enjoyed the first then you will probably enjoy this one. Robert Downey Jr. somewhat carries the films and obviously has the best scenes throughout the films. It's a low point of the December months and isn't worth your money at the theater. Wait for it to come out on TV and relax and enjoy it then.
2.75/5
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