Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Review and Discussion

[Captain Craig]

I voted: Elementary

I thought the first act was a bit heavy handed on the bro-mance but once that settled down and we got into the meat of the plot with Moriarty. I also liked how Mary was incorporated into the film. I wasn't surprised Holmes was alive, not cause I knew how the waterfall sequence was written, but the way Holmes looked at the device when he first saw it.
I could go for Irene being alive. The "I slipped myself an antidote just in case" works for me.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Saw this yesterday. Pretty decent, about as good as the first one. Just inconsequential fluff. The gay subtext in this one was all text. "Lay with me, Watson."

My girlfriend also really liked it, though mostly for Stephen Fry. He was great comic relief here.

Saw this with a pretty good crowd that also seemed to really enjoy it. I suspect they'll make another.

 

[Trekker4747]

I went and saw this movie (a second time) with my mother Christmas Day. The second time around I enjoyed it more and could pick up on a lot of things too.

My mother took notice of Watson's scarf in the movie and is going to nit me one just like it!

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ Nice! I kind of wanted Watson's scarf as well.

 

[Captain Craig]

LOL, I liked his scarf also!!
I was jealous of the gypsy guy he let keep it in some way.

Trekker we need a pic when that gets made for you!!

 

[Trekker4747]

I'll certainly show it off when I get it. She spent some time looking at some screen-grabs on the internet of it (from the trailers) and the ways others have made it out there. She had started it but was using the wrong type of stitch or something, re looked at pictures, and had to start over.

But, none the less, I look forward to when she has it ready!

 

[Captain Craig]

This person has knit one and sold it as of today.

Someone else is a work in progress.

I would have thought this was an item some retailer would have. My google-fu hasn't shown that to be the case as of yet.

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah, that's one of the ones we were looking at, but she didn't the the colors were quite right on that one.

 

[Trekker4747]

I'm re-watching "Sherlock Holmes" on BD right now, been a while since I've seen it.

It's worth nothing, probably, that Holmes' Baker Street digs are different in the first movie than they were in this new one.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Yeah I think they used a different set...or dressed up differently.

 

[Trekker4747]

It's a very different set, the dimensions and just overall decor are completely different, I believe the exterior shots are starkly different too. Which is sort of an odd thing to change, I can see such a change being made in a TV series between seasons or a pilot episode and the main series, but movies are usually a bit more consistent in this manner.

 

[Pauln6]

I think it's quite likely that Irene is still alive since her death wasn't reported anywhere and they deliberately didn't show us what happened, instead giving a Usual Suspects style retelling that could be entirely manufactured. I did wonder if smelling her handkerchief before tossing it overboard might have more signficance that the assumption that he was smelling her perfume.

I also believe that Cyclops is still alive in X-Men 3, most probably in the lab of Mr Sinister by now.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I think they left it vague so Rachel could decide if she wanted to return or not. Like I said it depends on what her contract status is for the third one. If she doesn't return, she actually did die and maybe we would get a mention of it. If she comes back then perhaps she'll reveal herself and explain to Sherlock that she faked her death somewhat. There are several ways this could turn out. Personally right now I'm leaning towards she isn't dead and Moriarty either thinks she is and used that just to get the reaction out of Sherlock that he did.

 

[archeryguy1701]

I must admit that it would bug me a bit if Irene somehow ends up being alive.... while I liked her character, having her somehow survive would take something away from Moriarty for me. For a man who was very precise in how he does things (including tying up loose ends), letting someone survive would seem like a major screwup for him. Hell, Irene specifically chose that meeting location because she didn't think that Moriarty would attempt to kill her in a crowded location. I don't think she would really plan far enough ahead to pick the crowded location and then in the event of that failing, having the antidote for the specific poison he would hit her with and then still be able to convincingly fake her own death.

The only time Moriarty really dropped the ball in the movie was when Sherlock screwed up his attempt at killing Watson. His assassination attempt at the end went south, but they still managed to kill off his only connection to the plot.

Not a major thing, but like I said, it would bug me a little bit for a man like him with such ruthless efficiency to screw up like that when he was in almost entire control of that specific situation.

 

[Trekker4747]

I think it's quite likely that Irene is still alive since her death wasn't reported anywhere and they deliberately didn't show us what happened, instead giving a Usual Suspects style retelling that could be entirely manufactured. I did wonder if smelling her handkerchief before tossing it overboard might have more signficance that the assumption that he was smelling her perfume.

I also believe that Cyclops is still alive in X-Men 3, most probably in the lab of Mr Sinister by now.

I believe Irene Adler is still alive too. First and foremost she's a fairly central character in the Sherlock Holmes mythos, secondly she never died on screen and we've only Moriarty's word that he killed her with an aggressive strain of TB. (The visuals merely being a representation of either Sherlock's imagination, or Moriarty's story, and not "reality.)

It's possible she's alive in some capacity. Perhaps the next movie would deal with Holmes and Watson's search for her.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I dunno if Irene is a central character to the mythos...she only appeared in one story...but she's certainly been elevated thanks to the Ritchie movie IMO. As for Holmes and Watson searching for her suggestion. I think that would go against Sherlock's emotional turmoil. He would have to admit the point that Irene is that important to him. I think it would take away from the scene on the ferry as well, where he couldn't bring himself to even speak about her to John. No if Irene returns I much prefer they just have her appear or reveal herself.

 

[Captain Craig]

Agreed. Irene is one story and only treated as that important thanks to what Ritchie and Co. have done with her. I admit though, I do like what Adams does with the material they've given her for the role. It would be like saying the villain Big Wheel is an important Spiderman foe.


The movie has tallied a nice $136m US domestic total as we come out of the New Years Holiday weekend. I guess it's rolling out slowly on the international front, giving room vs MI:4 perhaps? It's worldwide total is $185m.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I expect we'll get an official green light maybe in the summer time. There doesn't seem to be any rush and Ritchie isn't making the third film his immediate project like he did with this one. Drew Pearce is writing the script, no word why the original writers who started this thing aren't coming back.

 

[Yminale]

I dunno if Irene is a central character to the mythos...she only appeared in one story...but she's certainly been elevated thanks to the Ritchie movie IMO.

Addler was a fan favorite and subject to fan speculation long before the movie. Every long running dramatization of Sherlock Holmes have always paid homage to her (even the current one).

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ I'm well aware of that. I was just stating that I believe thanks to McAdam's stellar performance and popularity of her role in the Richie film...has elevated the character's standing in recent years. She's become critical at least to the Richie trilogy (if it becomes a trilogy) and now after Sunday, it would seem Moffat's excellent "Sherlock" as well.