After the phenomenal first installment of Sherlock Holmes in 2009, Warner Bros Pictures did it all again Christmas time, 2011. Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows made its way to theaters on December 16^th making a worldwide box office gross of 402.3 million dollars. Sherlock Holmes fans were waiting for this release as the first movie ended with many missing pieces to the puzzle.

Directed by Guy Ritchie, the movie begins with instant action as Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his so called assistant, Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) figure out that a brilliant professor named James Moriarty has plans up his sleeve. It’s up to Holmes and Watson’s investigation to fully uncover what Moriarty is up to. Although Holmes can be considered highly intelligent, Moriarty was just as brilliant and throughout the movie he always seemed to be a step ahead of the detective.

The movie is shot very well. The acting, especially from Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, is professional throughout. The fight scenes are excellent. Holmes actually visualizes the fight and plans it using his intelligence. Next, the fight is shown in slow motion. It isn’t just the fight scenes that keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Scattered throughout the movie are scenes that will promise a spike in your blood pressure. To balance it out, there are also scenes filled with comedy and cute romance.

This movie isn’t without problems.  It seemed as if there was an unusual transition from the first film to the sequel. There was more action involved rather than mystery and suspense. It seemed as if the plot was poorly established. There were times in the movie when the audience seemed confused. Most of the comedy was shown in the trailer. Lastly, there were certain parts of the movie that looked unusually conspicuous and fake due to the use of a green screen.

Overall, the movie is certainly worth the watch. It was fun and the shocking ending is extraordinarily fantastic, complete with one of the best twists in all of cinema. Make sure you grab your detective hat and experience the journey with Holmes and his pal Watson as they journey to France, Switzerland and to the heart of the mystery.