Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

PG-13

Released Dec 16, 2011

2h 9m

Action

Adventure

Mystery & Thriller

List

60%

Tomatometer

230 Reviews

77%

Audience Score

100,000+ Ratings

When Austria's crown prince is found dead, evidence seems to point to suicide. However, detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) deduces that the prince was murdered and that the crime is but a piece of a puzzle designed by an evil genius named Moriarty (Jared Harris). Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson (Jude Law), who are accompanied by a Gypsy (Noomi Rapace) whose life Holmes saved, chase Moriarty across Europe in the hope that they can thwart his plot before it can come to fruition.

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Critics Consensus

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a good yarn thanks to its well-matched leading men but overall stumbles duplicating the well-oiled thrills of the original.

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Roger Moore

Tribune News Service

If only they'd spent the cash on a bad guy with stature, instead of taking that phrase, "the banality of evil," so literally. Playing this Game might have been even more fun.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 23, 2012

Full Review

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Unlike the 2009 hit that preceded this one there's very little mystery to be found here, not much in the way of puzzles in need of being solved.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 27, 2012

Full Review

Bruce Diones

New Yorker

It's complete trash and makes a mockery of Holmes's vaunted deductive reasoning.

Jan 16, 2012

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

When it’s all over, audiences may find the experience superficial and in no way reminiscent of Doyle’s stories, but for just over two hours, we’ve been happily diverted.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 6, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Unfortunately the uniqueness, humor, and charm of the first film are all but missing in the sequel.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 25, 2022

Full Review

Owen Nicholls

NME (New Musical Express)

A touching romance, this time with actual touching, A Game of Shadows will while away a couple of hours with a few good set pieces and a couple of giggles.

Apr 29, 2021

Full Review

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First name L

Less than mysterious, emotionally hollow someow? The cast gives their all but somehow this one is too dark and disjointed.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/10/24

Full Review

Rob F

Just as good as the first. Not sure why the critics had such a low opinion

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/24

Full Review

Paul S

A proper old style adventure romp. Great set pieces and all carried out with GR's usual visual flair. Highly recommended.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/28/23

Full Review

Frank B

Loved it... never tired of seeing it over and over. Funny lots of adventure ...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/09/23

Full Review

Charlie R

It's very much a mash of silliness. I never felt any connection to the Sherlock Holmes legacy from watching this. It could have been made as an action-comedy with lesser known actors for all it does in the way of feeling worthwhile. Currently I am watching it for the second time since its release as an evening filler and I've stopped the play twice for almost an hour at a time to surf the web for not particular reason. Noomi Rapace's presence is about the only thing keeping my attention.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/05/23

Full Review

Timothy D

Game of Shadows keeps the style of its predecessor while removing the mystic factor. That doesn't leave much outside of Holmes and Watson's bromance. It's nice, but not enough to carry the movie's wooden storyline.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

08/26/23

Full Review

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Guy Ritchie

Director

Robert Downey Jr.

Sherlock Holmes

Jude Law

Dr. John Watson

Noomi Rapace

Madam Simza Heron

Rachel McAdams

Irene Adler

Jared Harris

Professor James Moriarty

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Synopsis

When Austria's crown prince is found dead, evidence seems to point to suicide. However, detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) deduces that the prince was murdered and that the crime is but a piece of a puzzle designed by an evil genius named Moriarty (Jared Harris). Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson (Jude Law), who are accompanied by a Gypsy (Noomi Rapace) whose life Holmes saved, chase Moriarty across Europe in the hope that they can thwart his plot before it can come to fruition.

Director: Guy Ritchie
Producer: Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey, Dan Lin
Screenwriter: Michele Mulroney, Kieran Mulroney, Anthony Peckham
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Silver Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, Wigram Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Violence|Intense Sequences of Action|Some Drug Material)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 16, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 11, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $186.8M
Runtime: 2h 9m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital

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