Blu-ray Review Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Directed by: Guy Ritchie Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace Running Time: 2 hrs 9 mins Rating: PG-13
Own it on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack or Digital Download 6.12.12
Be sure to check out the free Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows movie app for iPad2 or Kindle Fire. The app synchs with the Blu-ray disc to start exploring the rich and exciting history of Sherlock Holmes. http://bit.ly/JlZkvR
PLOT: Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his sidekick Dr. Watson (Jude Law) are thrown together once again. This time they must try and defeat the infamous Professor Moriarty (Harris).
OVERALL
I’m not someone who is upset by the updated, action-focused Sherlock Holmes. This is mainly because of the charm of Downey Jr. and Law in the roles of Holmes and Dr. Watson, but also because there is still intelligence. Sure it’s a movie trick, but it’s still there. I love that Holmes will glance quickly around the room, keying in on a couple of objects. We, the audience, are trying to make sense of what we’re even looking at. Holmes is figuring out how it all fits together. Thankfully, this time around so is an evil villain. Harris steps up to the big leagues (OK, bigger leagues than what he’s been in before) and does a really good job as the potentially smarter Moriarty. The first film lacked a compelling villain. That’s not the case here and you want to see these two go toe-to-toe.
Guy Ritchie seems to relish playing with all of these toys and fantastic actors. It’s a blockbuster that deserves our attention. That alone is actually a rare thing. They improve on the first film and I found myself caring for these characters instead of just liking what I was looking at. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is worth your holiday time.
FINAL SCORE: 8/10
EXTRAS
Blu-ray Special Features: Maximum Movie Mode: Inside the Mind of Sherlock Holmes - Hosted by Robert Downey, Jr. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: A Perfect Chemistry Holmes Without Borders Moriarty's Master Plan Unleashed Holmesavision on Steroids Sherlock Holmes: Under the Gypsy Spell Meet Mycroft Holmes Guy Ritchie's Well-Oiled Machine
DVD special features: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: A Perfect Chemistry Moriarty's Master Plan Unleashed Holmesavision on Steroids
· The Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows™ Movie App enables your iPad 2 or Kindle Fire to control your Blu-ray™ movie and expand your movie watching experience. Sync the app with your Blu-ray disc of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadowsto start exploring the rich and exciting history of Sherlock Holmes.
· The Movie App is free and can be downloaded from iTunes Store now.
· The Movie App is optimized for Apple iOS 4.0 and above.
· For the first time, the Movie App flips the notion of how you watch a movie at home as the App enables your iPad to control your Blu-ray™ movie and expand your movie watching experience
· The Movie App synchs with the Blu-ray disc of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows to provide enhanced content and interactive features.
· The Movie App acts like a remote control for your Blu-ray player taking you to specific scenes in the film and into the Maximum Movie Mode that complement the different chapters in the App allowing you to watch at your own speed instead of having to keep pace with the film.
· Noted Sherlock Holmes expert Leslie Klinger consulted on the Movie App contents.