We started last year (CY 2010) with the first Guy Ritchie version of Sherlock Holmes hitting the screens. I hadn’t started reviewing movies then but I can tell you it was a stunning version of Holmes. I have, am and will always be a huge Guy Ritchie fan. But most of us are used to seeing him in the Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels versions which he has achieved so much expertise over the years that there is no one that can build a sense of suspense and mystery along with acidic humour that has over the years become a trademark of Guy Ritchie. To me, it was a thought that would never have materialized in my wildest dreams. Guy Ritchie directing a Holmes movie??? But when you step back and take a look at the humour in Arthur Conan Doyle’s masterpieces, you figure out that this is probably up Guy Ritchie’s alley than anyone elses (no pun intended). Not only did he deliver the goods the first time around, he has set himself up for a genre of cinema which can be actually called “Holmes”
A Game of Shadows takes a look at one of the greatest rivalries that has ever existed in the fictional world. But Doyle’s build up and description of the rivalry is so superb that, someone who is not familiar with it could be easily taken for a ride. Some schools of thought do say that the rivalry was inspired from real life characters but it has remained an urban legend. We are talking about Sherlock Holmes v/s Prof. James Moriarty. A rivalry that closed with a “fist fight” of sorts at the scenic Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Moriarty is believed by most, and rightfully I must say, to be Sherlock’s alter ego. Quite certainly, there could be no one else who is as gifted with respect to the powers of deduction. And Ritchie has bought Moriarty to life brilliantly to say the least. Not to take away anything from Jared Harris who has done the role absolute justice to say the least.
This part also gets to life the character of Mycroft (Stephen Fry) of whom Mary Watson (Kelly Reilly) so dryly says, “There’s 2 of you is it”? And Stephen Fry is brilliant right from his first appearance during the movie with the simple nuances of Mycroft such as not shaking hands and then walking around naked in his house despite being a diplomat of significant repute.
The purist Sherlock fans may not like the Guy Ritchie version and believe that Jeremy Brett is the quintessential Holmes. I take nothing away from Brett who is in the record books for having played Holmes the most times. But give credit to Robert Downey Jr. who gets in his own charm with a nonchalance that is admirable to say the least. I loved the first part for sure and A Game of Shadows came upto the same level if not better. They could have gone easy on the slow motion sequences – some of which were definitely over the top. But the overall package is a mouth watering treat for a Friday evening. 7.5 on 10. Don’t miss it!!!!
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1860541977/
A Game of Shadows takes a look at one of the greatest rivalries that has ever existed in the fictional world. But Doyle’s build up and description of the rivalry is so superb that, someone who is not familiar with it could be easily taken for a ride. Some schools of thought do say that the rivalry was inspired from real life characters but it has remained an urban legend. We are talking about Sherlock Holmes v/s Prof. James Moriarty. A rivalry that closed with a “fist fight” of sorts at the scenic Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Moriarty is believed by most, and rightfully I must say, to be Sherlock’s alter ego. Quite certainly, there could be no one else who is as gifted with respect to the powers of deduction. And Ritchie has bought Moriarty to life brilliantly to say the least. Not to take away anything from Jared Harris who has done the role absolute justice to say the least.
This part also gets to life the character of Mycroft (Stephen Fry) of whom Mary Watson (Kelly Reilly) so dryly says, “There’s 2 of you is it”? And Stephen Fry is brilliant right from his first appearance during the movie with the simple nuances of Mycroft such as not shaking hands and then walking around naked in his house despite being a diplomat of significant repute.
The purist Sherlock fans may not like the Guy Ritchie version and believe that Jeremy Brett is the quintessential Holmes. I take nothing away from Brett who is in the record books for having played Holmes the most times. But give credit to Robert Downey Jr. who gets in his own charm with a nonchalance that is admirable to say the least. I loved the first part for sure and A Game of Shadows came upto the same level if not better. They could have gone easy on the slow motion sequences – some of which were definitely over the top. But the overall package is a mouth watering treat for a Friday evening. 7.5 on 10. Don’t miss it!!!!
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1860541977/
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