When it comes to classic detective tales, one cannot get more gold standard than Sherlock Holmes. You also cannot get more distinctive than the cinematic feel of Guy Ritchie. I’ll never forget when it was first announced that the British filmmaker was tackling Arthur Conan Doyle.
It seemed like a match made in heaven. If anyone needed an “update” it was the iconic sleuth and his sidekick, Dr. Watson. History has shown that Ritchie’s touch with the flick was spot-on as was his casting of Robert Downey Jr. as the titular detective and Jude Law as his BFF/investigative right-hand man. Fans of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows should be blindingly smiling right now as both are getting a stellar 4K upgrade, courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
2009’s Sherlock Holmes found the titular character and Watson going after an especially brutal killer that was engaging in ritualistic slayings that have left the entire British city on edge. When they catch the person responsible, Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), as he is being readied for his hanging, Blackwood asserts that his punishment is playing right into his plans.
Wait, what?!
Days after his execution, the “late” Blackwood appears to make good on his promise to wreak havoc across London, leaving Scotland Yard baffled. The dynamic duo is then forced to delve into a landscape inhabited by the “dark arts” and other nefarious elements.
Rachel McAdams (recently seen in Netflix’s Eurovision Song Contest) plays the iconic love interest, right from the pages of Doyle, Irene Adler. She is much more than a wallflower in Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, as she possesses the skills necessary to aide the detective as he navigates some mysterious avenues.
Ritchie’s trademark filmmaking style was pitch-perfect for this particular story. With Downey Jr.’s flair, the idea of his character working out all the action sequences in his head prior to their execution, the pairing of star and moviemaker is pure bliss with Sherlock Holmes.
Ritchie’s wielding of his camera with its whip-smart editing and blink and you’ll miss a moment cinematography injected some serious modernism into what could have been a stale world of Sherlock Holmes. Instead, there is a kinetic energy to this endeavor that makes it a blast to experience, regardless of how many times you’ve seen it… which is why adding Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows to your home video collection is a no-brainer.
Even if you already own it on DVD or Blu-Ray, the filmmaking style of Ritchie seems custom fit to the technological advancement achieved of the 4K upgrade—both visually and sonically.
If you intend to purchase the 2009 film, you must add Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows as well. For one enormous reason—the addition of the iconic Holmes villain, Moriarty. Esteemed thespian Jared Harris (Mad Men) is Professor James Moriarty and that is another stroke of casting genius.
Holmes faced many a foe over the years in Doyle’s books and the various pop culture incarnations that followed. But there is something uniquely perfect about Moriarty. He shares Holmes’ intellect and is the one villain that has routinely “bested” Sherlock and to witness them go at it in the 2011 sequel to Sherlock Holmes was one of the great movie joys of that year.
There’s also the stunning turn by Noomi Rapace as Madam Simza Heron, whose involvement, in this case, is as mysterious as Moriarty himself. What’s fascinating is this case forces Holmes and Watson to various spots across the European continent. The cinematography work by Philippe Rousselot (who also worked on the first film) is brilliant and with the 4K upgrade, truly pops off the screen. It is seriously stunning and the score by Hans Zimmer is sonically succulent with the upgrade as well.
There are no new bonus features for either title, but the extras for both films are the same from the Blu-Ray release and are stellar, to put it mildly.
The highlight of the first film’s featurettes has to be Sherlock Holmes: Reinvented—which is exactly as it seems. It follows the filmmakers and the cast as they discuss Doyle and his impact on pop culture. The featurette also astoundingly captures Ritchie and how his cinematic style was a perfect fit for bringing Doyle into a new century.
For the Game of Shadows 4K, don’t miss A Game of Shadows Movie App. It exponentially enhances the experience by providing script-to-screen parallels, as well as maps of the action and character bios that are sure to thrill longtime fans of Holmes and his mystery mastery.
Sherlock Holmes Film Grade: B+
Sherlock Holmes Bonus Features: B
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Film Grade: A
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Bonus Features: A-