Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Movie, 2011, Victorian London, Set in Europe, 1891
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is #15 of 26 in release order and #13 of 26 in chronological order in the Sherlock Holmes.
The story
There is a new criminal mastermind at large (Professor Moriarty) and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil and lack of conscience may give him an advantage over the detective.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows recap
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) is Guy Ritchie's sequel, with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law returning, Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty, Noomi Rapace as the fortune teller Simza and Stephen Fry as Mycroft. In 1891, bombings blamed on anarchists are pushing France and Germany toward war, and Holmes has linked them to Moriarty, who has Irene Adler killed. Moriarty threatens Watson and Mary, so Holmes throws Mary off their honeymoon train to save her, and he and Watson follow Simza's missing brother across Paris and Germany to Moriarty's arms factory.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows ending explained
Moriarty owns shares in arms makers and wants a world war to profit from it. Holmes stops an assassination at a peace summit in Switzerland, and reveals he swapped Moriarty's coded notebook so his fortune has been seized and given to war widows. Facing defeat in a fight, Holmes pulls Moriarty with him over the Reichenbach Falls. After the funeral, Watson finishes his story and types "The End", and Holmes, hidden in his study, adds a question mark.
Where to watch Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows isn't on a US streaming service right now. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes 60%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Sherlock, before Elementary.
- Chronological order: after Sherlock Holmes, before The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.
What to watch before Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Sherlock Holmes (2009), which Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) continues.
Cast
- Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes
- Jude Law as Dr. John Watson
- Noomi Rapace as Madam Simza Heron
- Jared Harris as Professor James Moriarty
- Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler
- Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lestrade
- Kelly Reilly as Mary Morstan
- Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes
- Paul Anderson as Colonel Sebastian Moran
- Geraldine James as Mrs. Hudson
- William Houston as Constable Clark
- Wolf Kahler as Doctor Hoffmanstahl
Directed by Guy Ritchie.