Sherlock Homes:
A Game Of Shadows

We are cheering because Robert Downey, Jr. is back as Sherlock Holmes - the eccentric, brilliant detective who finds himself investigating a series of suspicious bombings occurring around Europe in 1891. While many are chalking it up to the work of anarchists, Holmes is on the trail of his former flame, Irene (Rachel McAdams), and her partner in crime, the well respected and unsuspected Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris).

While Holmes's dedicated partner, Dr. Watson (Jude Law), has had enough of the crime solving game, he gets pulled back in when Moriarty and his gang target him and his new wife, Mary (Kelly Reilly).

What is Moriarty up to?

Can Holmes overcome the one man who seems to have the ability to match intellect with him?

Is anyone going to believe Moriarty is up to no good?
Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows is like a big, fancy fireworks display. It doesn't have any real meaning or intellectual challenges, but you enjoy watching the pretty lights. It's a fun romp at a time when all of the serious movies are being released into theaters.

Director Guy Ritchie stays true to the spirit of the first movie by sticking to the formula he established for that first movie. The audience gets lots of laughs and giggles as Holmes and Watson bicker and verbally spar back and forth over the clues, plans, ways to get to the bottom of the mystery and the mistakes they make along the way.

Then, we continue to be wowed visually as Ritchie shows us Holmes's thought process playing out in slow motion in front of us. We see his plans to escape, or fend off a physical beating, or how he put together the pieces to solve part of the mystery. Sure, it is overkill on the slow motion stuff, but, when used in the right moments, it's cool to see.

Sadly, Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows is not much of a mystery movie. Holmes may be piecing together the clues, but the audience is not. We are along for the ride as Holmes reveals some piece of information out of nowhere, instead of seeing it at the same time we do. Worst of all, it feels like the mystery doesn't become important until about an hour into the movie.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows is fun and worth seeing, just don't look for intellectual challenges.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some drug material.