Here’s a mystery for you, Arthur Conan Doyle is dead. He’s been dead for 81 years, but still gets “posthumourous” writing credits for the title action man and his sidekick in the latest “Sherlock Holmes” on steroids movie adaptation starring Robert Downey Jr. and directed by Guy Ritchie.

As a fan of the exuberant Robert Downey Jr., the action revolution that is Guy Ritchie and the enigmatic character of Sherlock Holmes it just makes this Sherlock Holmes sequel difficult to watch. Each player brings a fantastic energy to the party with a wealth of experience and a reasonable refresh on the classic detective as an action-adventure instead of a crime-drama.

However, this “more-of-the-same” sequel does not gel. The first Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes had spunk, a cheeky novelty that offered a dark, action-packed update on Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved characters. It wasn’t faithful, but gave the literary Sherlock Holmes an entertaining and refreshing shake-up.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows ironically falls into the shadows of its predecessor, hurtling along from one Guy Ritchie action set piece to another. Ritchie is renowned for his slick action visuals, but the slow-motion shots and modern action sequences just seem out-of-place in any Sherlock Holmes adventure.

“The Sherlock Holmes Saga: New Moon”

The story just seems disjointed with a script that stop-starts the pacing with reams of innocuous dialogue to create a forced rapport for Holmes and Watson. The Paper Man writers seem to be relying on the basis that you’ve already got a three-dimensional conglomerate of the character of Sherlock Holmes from pop culture. The wordplay doesn’t suit our action heroes and just seems to fill the air with Robert Downey Jr. to spice it up.

Ritchie adds more disguises and more drama in an attempt to stay true to the spirit of the re-imagined Arthur Conan Doyle characters, probably bending to criticism of Sherlock Holmes and trying to right wrongs when his first slick adaptation thrived on these very misconceptions.

London is no longer a character. The sets have been wonderfully re-created with green screens offering an authentic, dreary London backdrop. However, the city doesn’t have the same dark and oppressive atmosphere to anchor the adventure in a sort of moving painting.

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are talented actors in their own respect and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows would be a complete waste of time without their presence. Yet, the co-lead chemistry and banter seems forced and the characters are goofy and overly camp, a shade of the poise Arthur Conan Doyle envisioned for them. To add insult to injury, Downey Jr. has been roped in…

“But I’m a lady. I do not have testiclé.”

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s Noomi Rapace is almost unrecognisable as Madam Simza Heron and you can’t help but feel that her character is a device to carry the torch of femininity as Rachel McAdams fades to black. Jared Harris is convincing as an intellectual, but a bit indistinct as the sinister, scheming nemesis and equal-opposite that is Professor James Moriarty. While Stephen Fry’s presence is welcome, he’s a bit of a spanner with a jarring nude scene in an over-inflated cameo.

The sequel hints at a homosexual relationship between Sherlock Holmes and his friend, Dr. John Watson. This isn’t the first adaptation to play on this notion and Ritchie keeps this dynamic taut with some interesting moments involving Holmes in drag lying between Watson’s legs.

A two-hour journey, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows becomes wearisome. This action-adventure feels much like Shanghai Knights did to Shanghai Noon with more add-on action and fewer laughs. The sequel credo of “much more of the same” applies and for movie goers that enjoyed the first Guy Ritchie offering, A Game of Shadows is like seconds – you know you’re going to be stuffed, but what the hell?

The bottom line: Jaded

Release Date: 30 December, 2011

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