The Shadow Game

So, "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows".


It's billed as being bigger, better, louder than the first film. It's certainly louder.


Now I'm a big fan of the first Sherlock Holmes not least because:
a) Robert Downey-Jr is brilliant
b) It's the only film where I don't want to punch Jude Law in the face (including films he's not in)
c) It's was a remarkable return to form for Guy Ritchie, who, despite what anyone says, made some good films. "Lock, Stock" is great - it just fell apart when he got to "Revolver". And the less said about "Swept Away" the better


Anyway, SH2 didn't disappoint. I didn't think it was as good as the first, but it did have the welcome addition of Stephen Fry as Mycroft. 


Cons: Lestrad wasn't in it enough. Noomi Rapace was completely underused.
Pros: Jared Harris made an excellent Moriarty. And there was lots of camp banter between Holmes and Watson, which was thoroughly entertaining. The "fight" scene at the end was also very well done. 


All in all, a fun popcorn film and a worthy sequel.

No shiznit Sherlozzle

Last weekend I finally sat down to watch “Sherlock” which I’ve heard a number of people, not least of which my brother-in-law Rob, go absolutely mad for. I was somewhat dubious about whether the show would be as good as everyone said, especially as it’s written by the guy who writes Doctor Who, which as I’ve said before I’m not a huge fan of. I know, I know, they’re coming to take away my sci-fi nerd membership card as we speak.

Fortunately for me the series didn’t disappoint. Martin Freeman is an excellent lynchpin as Watson, and Bernard Cumberbatch’s Holmes manages to be both annoying and likeable. It was a good move to keep with the tradition of telling the story from Watson’s perspective, as too much of Holmes would have shifted him completely into the “more annoying than entertaining” camp.

The stories are all gripping, with only the second episode not quite fitting in with the overarching Moriarty storyline (he is mentioned but it feels a little tacked on), but when the storytelling is this good, who cares?

At first the concept of having text messages imposed onto the screen was annoying, but I made my peace with it; only the superimposed street signs during the chase sequence of the first episode annoyed me, as I just felt they were trying too hard to be different. The only other thing that jarred slightly was the music, but only because it felt like they’d lifted it directly from the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes film with Robert Downey Jr from a couple of years ago.

The series as a whole was very entertaining and the series feels a lot like Jonathon Creek, which I’m sure was probably originally based on Sherlock Holmes anyway.

Overall a thoroughly entertaining watch and I’m looking forward to the second season. I only wish the BBC could only make more shows like this and less reality television. Oh well, guess we can’t have it all.