Fortune-telling, explosions, disguises, and of course, the Robert Downey-Jude Law bromance.  Overall, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was able to live up to the thrills and mystery of the first Sherlock Holmes film, but I personally missed some of the charm and wit that were so captivating in the original.

Once again, Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes) and Jude Law (Watson) completely made the movie.  They played off one another perfectly, and their endless bickering was as entertaining and funny as ever. There were also several new characters in this movie, including Holmes’ bizarre brother and Professor James Moriarty (played by Jared Harris), the antagonist and destructive mastermind.  In a way, Moriarty proved to be the perfect villain: he remained in the background for most of the film, creating an elusive and ominous presence much like Lord Blackwood did in the first.  However, he was also just as clever as Sherlock, which made him all the more threatening and intriguing.

What I missed most was the fact that supporting character Irene Adler—played by Rachel McAdams in the first movie—did not have a main presence in this film (she appeared only for a few fleeting minutes).  The unconventional relationship that she shared with Holmes in the first film added so much wit to the story, and without her the film suffered.  Moreover, the replacement female role lacked the chemistry that McAdams had with both Downey and Law.  Noomi Rapace played Madam Simza Heron, a mysterious fortune-teller who joins forces with the Holmes-Watson duo in order to find her lost brother.  Although Rapace has talent and portrayed her character well, the part was ultimately unnecessary and added little to the story.

Movie-critique website Rotten Tomatoes rated A Game of Shadows at only 59%, saying it failed to match such a well-done original; I agree that the first will never be surpassed.  If there had been more emphasis on the chemistry between the characters—and maybe a little less focus on the fighting scenes and explosions—the film could have preserved the charm of the first.  Even so, the intense camera shots and mysterious plotline kept this movie entertaining, and it was worth the time to see it.  Senior Scott Dronfield agrees, saying that he would “definitely recommend the film to a friend, as long as they were fans of the first.”

Lastly (spoiler alert!), be ready for a surprise ending—there are plot twists right up to the closing scene.