***
Dir. Guy Ritchie
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return in the sequel to the 2009 reboot of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic series. I came out of it with the same feelings as the first installment. Is this a decent action film? Yes. Is it consistent with Doyle's vision in the books? No.
With political turmoil, a rival mastermind, and the fate of his world upon him, the stakes are high for the famous detective. As nationalism and imperialism sweep across pre-WW1 Europe, Holmes (Downey Jr.) and Watson (Law) are caught in the middle of this conflict. Beyond this, the maniacal and brilliant Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris), a long time opponent of Holmes, seeks to destroy Watson and his new wife while constructing his empire.
Like its predecessor, this film is overtly modernized so as to present itself as a flashy action movie. While there's definite originality, it nonetheless fails to capture the essence of the story and deliver it properly. Ritchie knows how to produce an effective thriller with solid visual effects; but both his direction and the script do only a decent job of exploring the depths of the character.
Jared Harris' performance was for me the highlight of this blockbuster. His mannerisms and expressions reflected the villainous attributes of Moriarty, as envisioned by Doyle. Downey Jr. and him had definitive chemistry, which was well communicated to audiences. Law also brought to life the inquisitiveness and humorous elements of Dr. Watson, as he did in 2009.
In terms of cinematography, it was well executed and correlated well with Ritchie's vision. But again, the over emphasis on fast-paced action only works part of the time. The lighting and other visual elements created a shadowy feel, as dictated by the title.
This is a series which is being made and remade way too much. Although it's nice to see different interpretations, there's a point where directors make the story too outlandish; so as to appeal to younger audiences with too short attention spans to actually read the source material. This to me is a primary example.
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