Reviews and Editing by R. Allen Leider
with CJ Henderson, Andrew Johnson and Monis Rose

December 16th, 2011

"Sherlock Holmes 2: Game of Shadows"

Reviewed by CJ Henderson

Director Guy Ritchie returns for another round of dumbing down Sherlock Holmes for the unreading masses. Gun fights, fist fights, chases, explosions, gadgets galore, sexy women, homosexual innuendo ... all the things for which Holmes is decidedly not famous, but which Mr. Ritchie knows drags people into the theaters and sells DVDs.

Now, that said, do understand that I’m not much of a Holmes fan. I found the books dry, and the detective’s arrogance in his brilliance too overbearing to read. I actually feel Ritchie, ably assisted by the quite excellent performances of Robert Downey, Jr., has crafted a far more bearable version of Holmes. Still, when someone is taking a beloved character and changing everything about them, running as far from what fans of the original have every reason to expect, it’s best to get that said right up front. And, now that such has been done, let’s look at the new movie.

The story: Something is up in the world, and only Sherlock Holmes has noticed it. What appear to everyone else to be random bombings and murders he can see are all part of a massive plan to bring about a world war. And, being Holmes, he knows that all the divergent threads of what is happening can only lead back to one man -- Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris), the Napoleon of Crime. With his usual partner, Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) getting married, Holmes is loath to bring him into the affair, and at the beginning of it all attempts to arrange a truce with Moriarty which would spare Watson. Sensing weakness on the detective’s part in this request, the professor does not agree, assuring Holmes he will do his best to see both him, Watson and the new bride dead.

Seeing no other choice, Holmes brings his very eccentric older brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) of the Foreign Office into the picture to work behind the scenes while he and Watson set off on 'one last adventure' that takes the pair across England, then through France, Germany and finally Switzerland to foil the plans of their greatest enemy and hopefully save the world from a war that threatens to destroy all of Europe. As plots go, it’s not a bad one. Most of the clues are right out in the open and waiting for anyone paying even the slightest amount of attention. Ritchie and company aren’t out to dazzle anyone with their mastery of the complex mystery story. This is an action adventure tale, pure and simple. True fans of Sherlock Holmes will be as insulted this time around as they were the first (in much the same way true Spider-Man fans are forced to hate the first trio of films).

So, what we must ask ourselves is, is the film in the theaters now, since it isn’t really a true Sherlock Holmes movie, actually worth seeing? Sure, why not? Let’s remember, most all of the Holmes movies ever made don’t have much of anything to do with the real character. The many popular Basil Rathbone films are so ineptly written as to be little more than cruel jokes. This one, at least, tries to be entertaining. The sets and locations are excellent. Soundtrack, costuming, special effects, all aces. Couldn’t ask for better. Cinematography ... well, a bit murky. Never perfectly in focus, as if the filmmakers decided that the past must have been hazy all the time. The camerawork is good, set-ups swell, lighting nicely done, but that shot-through-gauze look does get annoying. And then ... then there’s the sound quality. Guy Ritchie is one of those fellows who apparently believes that one should make dialogue as muffled and hard-to-understand as possible. Perhaps, he’s trying to ensure higher DVD sales because people want to watch the film with the close captioning on so they can finally understand what was being said.

As annoying as this trait is, however, it falls to the wayside against that most tedious Ritchie signature marking, the rapid cut editing meant to shatter space and time and make one look like an artiste. Sadly, the ponderous overuse of the technique instead merely labels the director as a hack who can’t be original and who thus settles for blowing smoke in the audience’s eyes, instead.
And, all that said, that’s about all their is. If you’re a fan of Ritchie’s work, films like "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" or "Snatch," if you liked the first of his Holmes films, you’ll like this one as well. If, on the other hand, you are a true fan of the Sherlock Holmes novels, if you like plot and honest mystery, oh ... and of course ... being able to understand what the characters on screen are saying, then you might not need to see this one.

Not a bad movie, really. It just doesn’t have much to do with its supposed subject matter.
Our final word: 3 stars out of 5.


The Players: Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, and Jared Harris

The Filmmakers:
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Screenplay by Michele Mulroney, Kieran Mulroney, based on characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Released by Warner Brothers Pictures

"Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol"

In IMAX this is an eye-boggling spectacle and as good as many a 007 film= with oots of thrills, gadgets and action galore. Lots of stunts and great photography, a cliched plot, but who cares.In IMAX this one swallows you alive.

The IMF force is set up to catch theblame for a terrorist bomb attack on the Kremlin, and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the entire IMF agency are disavowed by the U.S. government when the president initiates the "Ghost Protocol." Forced to go off the grid and left without resources ( their boss is assassinated) or backup ( everyone has gone off the grid,too), Hunt must somehow clear the agency's name with a skeleton crew and prevent another attack.

Complicating matters even more, Ethan must undertake this impossible mission with a group of fellow IMF fugitives whose true motives are suspect and fight a terrorist who believes that a nuclear world war will yeild a new peaceful society.....so he's trying to start one.

The Players: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Ving Rhames, and Tom Wilkinson,

The Filmmakers:
Directed by Brad Bird
Screenplay by Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec,
Released by Paramount Pictures

"Carnage"

Based on the hit Broadway show God of Carnage, fromthe French original play by Yazmina Reza, this curt treatment of the subject by Roman Polanski and Ms. Reza is powerful and humorous at the same time.

After two boys duke it out on a playground, the Longstreet's ( Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly) the parents of the "victim" invite the Cowans ( Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) the parents of the "bully" over to work out their issues. Penelope Longstreet thinks it was indeed an "assault" that left her son "disfigured" and wants an apology — from the boy and his parents. The Cowans resent the implication: It was just horsing around, and their son is no thug. A polite discussion of child-rearing soon transforms this dark comedy that focuses on the collapse of good manners as the discussion escalates into verbal warfare, with all four parents revealing their true colors. as the evening goes on, the parents become increasingly childish, the four getting into irrational arguments, and their discussion falls into the loaded topics of misogyny, racial prejudice and homophobia.resulting in the evening devolving into chaos. None of them will escape the carnage.

The Players: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly

The Film Makers:
Directed by Roman Polanski
Screenplay by Yazmiona Reza and Roman Polanski
Released by Sony Pictures Classics

"Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked"

This is the 3rd in the series

Dave Seville (Jason Lee), the Chipmunks (Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney) and the Chipettes are taking a luxury cruise to the International Music Awards. During the cruise, the 'Munks and 'Ettes turn the ship into their personal playground, causing trouble and running amuck as they will.
Of course, Alvin cannot resist the urge to wreak havoc, and the singing rodents soon, their chaotic behavior gets them shipwrecked on a desert island, everyone getting lost in the process.

As Dave sets out to look for the lost chipmunk trios, the six find a new castaway on the island who turns out to be more than a match for the trios. Meanwhile, evil talent agent Ian ( David Cross) lurks in the background. It seems that Ian's career has hit the skids and he's on board as the ship's mascot, a duck that looks very strange. Back on the island,The new fly in the ointment is Zoe (Jenny Slate), who's been stranded on the island for years. A big fan of talking over her issues with volleyballs and other sporting goods a la "Castaway," she does seem crazy, but not enough to create that sense of dread the movie needs. Have the chips met their match?

The Players: Jason Lee, Justin Long, Jenny Slate, Jesse McCarthy, Amy Poheler, Anna Faris, Gary Grya Guber and Christina Applegate.

The Filmmakers:
Directed by Mike Mitchell
Screenplay by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger,
Released by 20th Century Fox Pictures