By Sarah Police

Staff Writer

It is really refreshing when a sequel trumps the original. It is like fresh baked cookies or getting an A on that math test. It is just really satisfying. And satisfying is exactly how I would describe Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

At the beginning of the movie, I was hesitant about the sequel. I thought that it was going to be like the first one, which, don’t get me wrong, was decent, but it didn’t turn me into a crazy fan-girl for Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes).

 And before you even think about it, the only thing I will say regarding Rachel McAdams (Irene Adler) is no comment.

I really enjoyed the plot. It wasn’t the typical “person finds problem, person tries to solve problem, road bump is thrown in persons way, person solves problem” plot. It was much more interesting and actually held my short attention span.

There were so many different details in the movie and at first I thought that they were completely random. However, at the end of the movie, I had my epiphany and it all made sense. How all of the details add up is completely brilliant.

Of course, as expected, Downey Jr. and Jude Law were well, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Downey Jr. seemed to bring a new quirkiness to Holmes’ character this time around. Law still showed a difference between the Dr. Watson in the first Sherlock Holmes to an even more mature and still endearing, evolved person in the sequel.

Although Downey and Law were exceptional, lovable characters, the person who amused me the most was Holmes’ brother. New to the franchise, Stephen Fry, who plays Mycroft Holmes, made an impressive entrance into the film. He was witty, and his relaxed and careless demeanor was amusing.

As well as Fry, several new characters were introduced in the plot. Dr. John Watson, played by Jude Law, became married to Mary Watson, Kelly Reilly. Like the first movie, she didn’t have a lot of parts in the film, but she was still sharp and downright entertaining. Plus, if she doesn’t mind getting thrown off a train, you know she’s a keeper. Mycroft Holmes’ servant also seemed to be a hit with the audience. Although his character did not have any verbal lines, the way he moved and acted in the film was hilarious.

The biggest addition to the cast was Noomi Rapace who played Madam Simza Heron, a gypsy in London, in search of answers. When her life is threatened at the beginning of the movie, she joins Holmes and Watson, to find her brother to unearth unanswered questions about his disappearance. She maintained a mysterious persona throughout the movie, and I probably respected her character more because she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty in the whole scheme of things.

Lastly, there is the antagonist Professor James Moriarty, (Jared Harris) a clever and prepared man who will do what it takes to fulfill his plan, even if that means taking out Sherlock Holmes. Set in the late 1800’s, France and Germany were on the rocks, waiting to see who would strike first. Moriarty tried to help push the inevitable war along but Holmes always seemed to get in his way.

But what are the characters without their clothes? I think it is necessary to give props to the costume designer, Jenny Beavan, for the impressive wardrobe in the movie. Holmes and Watson wore an assortment of outfits alike ranging from a raggedy old man to a full scale lady, which added comic relief to the fast pace of the plot. The garments were both nifty and grand and added another dimension to the film.

Now, we move on to the special effects. Oh the special effects. There was a really neat part when Holmes, Watson, and Madam Heron were running in a forest trying to escape the German soldiers. The film would be playing as usual and then it would slow down to slow motion and show the characters emotions. Not that we didn’t already know what they were feeling, but awesome nonetheless. The camera zoomed in on the bullets as they grazed Holmes.

 I’m glad that they continued to show the changes between slow motion, fast paces, and normal speeds just like they did in the first one. It is so cool when the film slows down and you can see everything happening at once instead of trying to focus on one big detail.

Another really cool effect that carried down from the first movie, was right before Holmes got into a fight, he would plan it out in his head how it was going to go and where the opponent’s weaknesses were.

What surprised me the most in the film was the ending. It was both unexpected and clever and Michele and Kieran Mulroney, the screenwriters, need some type of prestigious award.

Was it the best movie I’ve ever seen? Maybe. Would I pay money to see it again? Absolutely.