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Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Movie

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 2011

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Guy Ritchie's much anticipated sequel to Sherlock Holmes (2009), with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprising their roles. More

The smartest man in the room, Sherlock (Downey Jnr.), meets his match with criminal mastermind - the evil, depraved Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris, Mad Men). When Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan) construes the death of the Crown Prince of Austria as suicide, Sherlock points to murder and a piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Moriarty. Holmes and Watson (Law) are on the case, tracking the Professor's web of death and destruction which involves bombings in Strasbourg and Vienna.

The film also brings in Noomi Rapace (from the excellent Millennium trilogy) in her first English-speaking role, and Stephen Fry, playing Sherlock's older, peculiar brother, Mycroft. Hide

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325 votes / 52 comments The Talk

  • 79 %

    Want to See it

    What say you?

    • SlappyNZ

      Awesome. You can take my $16.50 already.

    • Dan

      looks like it will be as awesome as the first one

    • sdfghjkl

      love robert downy jr!! :D

    • clararar

      I miss Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman... then again, it's like comparing apples & oranges, isn't it?

    • BrionyJae

      Clararar - I totally agree! I love both sets of actors - hopefully this one will be as great as the first installment! :)

    • Thesockthief

      Stephen Fry is in it... as Mycroft...

    • Amsterdam

      Nice trailer!

    • Esta*

      LOVE IT!!!

    • Rosie

      The first one was a hit, and now a second one?!? What are they trying to do? kill me with excitment.?!?

    • Timoss

      NICE!

    • awesome

      AWESOME!!!

    • Zac

      Oh yes, I'm in!

    • Cutterman

      I loved the first one so I'll go for the second.

    • DOG

      I HATE THIS MOVIE!!

    • JO MAMMA

      WHAT?!?!

    • DOG

      Yea man i saw it already!

    • JO MAMMA

      Naa that was the first one!

    • DOG

      Ohhhh, it was pretty bad.

    • JO MAMMA

      Yea i didn't like it either.

    • WAHT?!?!

      $16.50 what a rip

    • Tippi

      Loved the first one, can't wait to see this one. Noomi Rapace is awesome

    • Tartlette

      Looks freakin awesome !! Cant wait ....

    • Mr Max.

      we'll be there for the adventure !!

    • Mark

      The trailer shows all the verve of the first: the supposed supernatural exposed; technology a century too early; and unshakable friendship.

    • drake

      :( they probably showed all the good bits

    • Liz Lemon

      I want this movie like an addict wants crack.

    • Hodstar

      liz Lemon seek help! Its just no S*#t Sherlock!

    • Raul

      Absolutely!

    • Jen

      Can't wait...bring it on !!

    • Lazza

      It looks good!! A lemon entry holmes!

    • liz

      Don't watch this trailer .... it shows the whole movie ...... just wait for the movie ... good stuff.

    • Jwoww

      yay exciting i loved the first one and cant wait to see the next one

    • Annie

      Huge Sherlock Holmes fan, loved the first movie, can't wait to see this one! Looks good!

    • Dan

      It's good, much like the first but tighter in script and a better villain. Equal to SH pt.1

    • Jude

      In USA so saw this last night - a great follow up to the first one, which my whole family loved. Robert Downey jr is fab as ever.

    • Bailey

      Looking forward to this

    • Amber

      I am totally looking forward to this movie! Gunna be epic as!!!!

    • Mother

      Where is the rating for this movie??!

    • Ed-Flicks

      @Mother... as in classification? Mr Holmes is rated M, contains violence.

    • JohnboyDunedin

      Great movie. Plot, special effects, humour. Will see it again

    • Mr G

      Seen it. Review is kind of on the money but its definitely 3 stars and better than Mission Impossible that got 4. Great ending.

    • Karoleena

      It is so embarassing

    • Robyn

      This was a great movie! You should definitely go and see it if you enjoyed the first one.

    • woodapud

      wow really good movie one of the best ive seen lol i got privet screening quite sad no one was there proberly already seen the movie.*****

    • josh

      this was great, i don't know why flicks gave it two stars, sure there are some boring bits but it a fantastic movie!

    • Liv

      Can't wait to see it, loved the first and hope I love the second even more. :)

    • AltheaSampson22

      Do you understand that it's high time to get the loan, which can realize your dreams.

    • AltheaSampson22

      Do you understand that it's high time to get the loan, which can realize your dreams.

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Flicks.co.nz Review

Rating:

  • AGREE? DISAGREE?...

  • Meredith

    Sheesh - it's supposed to be fun entertainment. "those expecting something more cerebral will be deeply disappointed", ugh!

  • Aaron

    This guy must have been having a bad day, or saw the wrong movie. This movie was exceptional.

  • Jase

    Clearly James Croot only likes Drama/Family/True Story stuff. Disagree big time. Think outside the square James, not just you

  • Rex Harrison

    Bad night out, Jimmy? Was this the same film I saw? I think not! Cerebral? Not in the BBC sense no. But it's a Holmes I enjoy nonetheless.

comment / reply
James Croot Flicks Writer

The shadow cast over Guy Ritchie's Sherlock sequel isn't Harris's malevolent Moriarty, but rather the BBC's recent excellent contemporary take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective. Whilst notionally set in 1891, this frenetic, kinetic action-flick doesn't really believe in historic authenticity as a selling point, despite its wardrobe commitments. More

Starting with a bang and ending with the Napoleon of Crime potentially meeting his Waterloo at some familiar Swiss falls, Ritchie's tale fair whips along and allows him to deliver trademark visual flair with both barrels this time (a train-set set-piece is a highlight).

Whilst the film delivers action, however, those expecting something more cerebral will be deeply disappointed. Instead of Cumberbatch's slightly aspergic and acerbic genius, Downey Jnr plays Holmes as a substance-enhanced martial artist; a cross between Pirates' Jack Sparrow and Mission: Impossible’s Ethan Hunt. And whilst Harris strikes an imposing figure, he's revealed too early and portrayed like a Bond villain meets the mad Irish bombers of 1990s Hollywood (think Blown Away or The Devil's Own). Female characters are either thrown off trains, cast aside or left floundering, while an underused Stephen Fry offers the most disturbing nude scene since Kathy Bates headed for the hot tub in About Schmidt. Hide

The People's Reviews

Rating:

14 ratings and 14 reviews

All reviews (14)

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comment / reply

The Game 'of Shadows' is afoot

RealityCheck Flicks Superstar (?)

Sherlock Holmes -game of shadows
I liked the first Sherlock & was sure this would not disappoint, and it didnt. Guy Richie works so well with Robert Downey Jnr and this movie is another great one. Depicting more of Holmes and the envolvement of Prof Moriarty, and the intertwined web that Moriarty has woven. I loved the scenes and it followed the same formula as its predecessor. Its fully enjoyable and a great watch. Action is a little fast at times for some, but overall (with half speed parts) its fantastic. 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' of good entertainment.
Watch the last scene carefully, is there going to be a thrid installment...
Genre : Action, mystery, thriller, adventure
5/5 : most enjoyable watch, easy to get lost in the film and the 1891 atmosphere.

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Thrill Ride

alex128 B-Grader (?)

I don't think the Flicks reviewer saw the same movie as me. While the first Sherlock Holmes perhaps offered more mystery and Mark Strong's villain certainly seemed more nefarious and shrouded than Moriarty, A Game of Shadows still offers plenty of exceptional thrills, quick wit and cleverly concealed and revealed plot points that kept me guessing and riveted. One qualm was that Noomi Rapace's gypsy fortune teller was underused, but I for one loved Stephen Fry's delightful eccentric cameo.

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"Well done, Holmes! Bloody well done!"

RexH Flicks Superstar (?)

The quote is not from the current film but from "The 7 Percent Solution" way back around 1974/5. Watson cheering Holmes on whilst swordfighting atop a fast moving train. It came to me while watching the train sequence in "Game of Shadows" and prompted me to wonder; which of the two films was the better? I have to say, the earlier was superior on a number of levels but this latest outing is a great romp. Funny, fast and tense where it needed to be. Casting was excellent - hilarious cameo from Stephen Fry. And while Downey's Holmes may not be to everyone's liking, he doesn't in fact, stray too far from the original character. Doyle didn't dwell on the mania that must have accompanied Sherlock's substance and cocaine abuse, but the hints were there. Updated, we have what could be a fair interpretation. Love the nod to the Joker! Anyone else notice? Action was well done throughout and the music hall sequence was a minor joy. It would have benefited from a bit more depth, it's true. That would have made it a better film and maybe ten minutes longer. But as a fun night out? Top marks to all involved!

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Sherlock Holmes... again

adamatdramatrain Flicks Superstar (?)

Okay - the first film was fun in a Lock Stock and Two Camp Charaters kinda way. I love Downey Jnr in anything because... well, he's Robert f@#$&* Downey Jnr dude! But let's face it, like IRON MAN 2, this Sherlock sequel was just a tired re-tread of the first. So, if you enjoyed the first, you'll love this. A fast, fun and frantic revisioning of Holmes as action hero rather than cerebal detective... Pretty much what happened to Batman - who went from Detective Comic hero to all-out action hero. Ritchie ups the ante of the slow-mo explosion scene from the first movie - this time amidst some trees - and amps up the homo-erotic Brokeback Detectives banter of the first installment. All-in-all fun - but a shame the villain wasn't more villanous and that sexism excludes women in all but the most James Bondian way... All the same, a fun popcorn movie that delivers exactly what it says on the tin: Sherlock Holmes... again. Big up Gladstone the dog!

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Action and antics

TJH B-Grader (?)

Fundamentally an action flick in period costume. I hadn't seen the prequel so had no expectations but found it an enjoyable escapade. Easy to be taken along for the ride.

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  • Jamjar

    Well it's a good thing the movie isn't based on the tv series...

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Not the Holmes I know

FletchNZ Wannabe (?)

This modern version of Holmes strays a long way from the source material of Arthur Conan Doyle and TV's Jeremy Brett (who will always be the quintessential Holmes). Parts of the movie have slow motion Matrix-type bullet-time effects, while other parts reminded me of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, in that it almost seems Holmes has gone back in time and set things up exactly so they'll work out to his benefit. It's OK for a bit of escapism, but it's not really Sherlock Holmes.

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A Really Good Sequel

Aidan1 Flicks Superstar (?)

This was a enjoyable Sequel it was such fun and a fantastic cast like the first movie Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law have such good chemistry you can see it on screen and they are so funny. Their was also Stephen Fry playing Holmes Brother which was really good to see because i haven't seen him in the past years in anything. Just so much fun cant wait to see the next movie.

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Downey Junior & Law rocked!

adeej Flicks Superstar (?)

The second Sherlock Holmes was a very enjoyable adventure ride with lots of suspense and unexpected twists and turns. I thought that Robert Downey Junior & Jude Law were awesome in their roles as was the actor playing the evil Moriarty. I haven't read the Sherlock Holmes books, and I understand that the films are a long way from the book. However, if you can ignore that and just enjoy the film as it is, it's a great couple of hours of entertainment.

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Again again!

Cass-Hodder B-Grader (?)

I'm a HUGE Robert Downey Jr fan so have been waiting for the sequel to SH for a long time. I loved it right from the start. RDJ and Jude Law are as fabulous in their roles as ever and the film is action packed and exciting. Go see it!

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Fantastic

Scifa Nobody (?)

Went and saw this movie yesterday. Had hopes of a great movie and I would have to say they were well meet. This is definitely one of the best sequels of the year.If you are after a movie with a lot of action but funny at the same time then this is a must for you.

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Another Stunning Holmes Adventure!

BrionyJae Flicks Superstar (?)

I have no idea how this film could have possibly received a single bad review, because honestly? This was a brilliant film to the very last second. Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law kept a tight hold of their magic chemistry from the 2009 film, and the cinematography was just SUPERB. The woods scene... perfection. The plotline was, in truth, less complicated than the 2009 film story, but it was no less marvellous. Stephen Fry was an epic cameo - I'm sure no one will forget it! And I reckon that could be said for the entire film. I'm a massive fan of BBC's Sherlock as well, but you can't compare the two, as they truly are completely different entities - and both honourable tributes to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary creation.

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Different from first one but better

Ken-Burns Flicks Superstar (?)

This is more about Holmes and Watson than anything else. London is dirty and old. The chase scene in the forest is amazing. Holmes is genius in disguise and taking drugs. It's a real laugh. I give it 4 beers out of 3

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This Second Holmes Comes In 2nd

GrahamP Flicks Superstar (?)

This movie is just one crisis after crisis after crisis.There was a story in there somewhere,but not much.It is mainly made up of fluff and nonsense.The script was written and delivered with rapid fire effect.The special effects were good but of no real importance.After seeing the first Holmes this one let me down a lot.
It is well made with good acting by all.

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  • Heidi

    I thought I'd have to read a book for a disocvery like this!

  • Heidi

    I thought I'd have to read a book for a disocvery like this!

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Clearly just a money-spinner

clararar Flicks Superstar (?)

In short, it's (of course) not as good as the BBC series, and not even as good as the first one in this franchise - the style seems a bit stale, the jokes lacked punch, Noomi Rapace was totally wasted with minimal lines or screentime, and the plot meandered a bit too much. While I can totally understand how this could be great entertainment for the masses, even for light entertainment this seemed to be lacking. If they're thinking of making a third, let's hope they bring back some of the magic of the first one or leave it altogether!

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Press Reviews

A.V. Club (USA)

Ritchie has made a film that's so busy, it starts to become boring. Full review.

Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

Set aside your memories of the Conan Doyle stories, save them to savor on a night this winter and enjoy this movie as a high-caliber entertainment. Full review.

Empire (UK)

A sequel confident in what it's about - bigger, better, funnier, without stretching the joke. Full review.

Guardian (UK)

A Game of Shadows assures us that escapism is good, that mischief must be celebrated. Holmes and Watson are happy and their escapades play out with such grace and brio that the fun is infectious. Full review.

Hollywood Reporter

After quite a few tedious detours and distractions, when the film finally gets down to the business of a climax at a gathering of elite European diplomats in a precariously perched Swiss mountain castle, it becomes not half-bad. Full review.

Los Angeles Times

A few shades brighter than its predecessor, and the action bits certainly closer to the full-throttle "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels" mode director Guy Ritchie didn't quite capture the first time. Full review.

New York Times

There is a plot, but no real intrigue, mystery or suspense, and no inkling of anything at stake beyond a childish and belligerent idea of fun. Full review.

Total Film (UK)

Faster, funnier and even more bromantic than the original, this far from stately Holmes delivers piping hot entertainment at a furious lick. Full review.