Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a fun sequel and watching them in succession, kind of enjoyed this one a bit better as it does include a great villain in Moriarty played by Jared Harris, and his ability to go up against Robert Downey Jr.’s Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes is a fun take on the classic character and while the pacing is a bit off and even after all these years not sure about RDJ’s portrayal, the actor does have charisma in spades helping to keep this as an entertaining mystery-thriller.
Not sure how this version compares to the others, even the 1939 one which I saw several years ago, but Hammer Films’ 1959 The Hound of the Baskervilles is still an entertaining Sherlock Holmes mystery featuring a solid performance from Peter Cushing as the great detective.
Mr. Holmes isn’t great but it’s certainly watchable especially for Ian McKellen’s performance as the tragically aging Sherlock Holmes who is losing his memory. Not sure if I’ll ever revisit the film anytime soon yet at the same time it’s got just enough to make it worth a Redbox or Netflix rental before making the investment of purchasing.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a satisfying sequel but at nearly 130-minutes, it does get a bit long in the tooth by the two-hour mark. Even so, the continuing chemistry between Downey and Law is fantastic and the new additions of Jared Harris and Noomi Rapace makes this at least a worthwhile rental.
These Sherlock Holmes movies have their place in history and all things considered, I thoroughly enjoyed each one of them. Basil Rathbone is the quintessential British man I’ve always envisioned both polite yet determined while the stories have certain replay value in them.