Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Image
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Metascore
48 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 38 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 444 Ratings

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  • Starring: Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Robert Downey Jr.
  • Summary: Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room... until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large—Professor Moriarty—and not only is he Holmes' intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage oge over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade, points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder—a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction—all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history. (Warner Bros. Pictures)


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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 38
  3. Negative: 5 out of 38
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    Dec 14, 2011
    88
    Set aside your memories of the Conan Doyle stories, save them to savor on a night this winter and enjoy this movie as a high-caliber entertainment.
  2. Empire
    Reviewed by: Ian Nathan
    Dec 12, 2011
    80
    A sequel confident in what it's about - bigger, better, funnier, without stretching the joke.
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Joe Neumaier
    Dec 16, 2011
    60
    The result ends up like an "SNL" skit: knowingly over-the-top but still fun.
  4. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    Dec 16, 2011
    38
    So moron-friendly they should have called it "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Checkers." The skill level in the script is elementary school, my dear Watson.

See all 38 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 110 out of 139
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 139
  3. Negative: 12 out of 139
  1. Cnssu
    10
    The movie was brilliant and the actors were even more brilliant! I really enjoyed this movie: in my opinion the people who don't like it actually don't understand it.… Expand
  2. Orlandu84
    8
    Some movies you watch in order to see beauty; some movies you watch in order to think and contemplate; some movies you watch so that you can be entertained. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" is certainly in the third category, and it knows it. This movie is about entertainment and not much more. Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law perform their parts very well as Sherlock and Watson. I would rate the movie more highly but I think that it could use some tightening in its plot. Nonetheless, the bedlam of the action sequences married to the erudition of the movie's wit make for good cinema.… Expand
  3. Greatbeallo
    5
    It's witty and clever, but far from cohesive. Apparently Sherlock is not only a great detective, but he can see the future as well? The scenes where he knows what is going to take place are absurd. The ending is also beyond ridiculous. I hate it when directors act as though we, as the audience, are morons. It was fun to watch, but silly. Downey Jr. is a genius of an actor, and the saving grace of this movie. He manages to salvage something positive from this messy film.… Expand
  4. Kern
    2
    The first one was an amusing little action flick, even if it had nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes. This one doesn't even try to be a good movie, and they've stopped pretending to be Sherlock and Watson altogether. Terrible movie.… Expand

See all 139 User Reviews

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