Rating: 3.5 of 5  

This is a harder movie to review than it should be.

Because Robert Downey Jr. is incredibly sharp and entertaining. He pulls off the eccentric but brilliant character with a flare that seems realistic however stylized it is. Jude Law as Watson is a strong enough counterpoint to ground Sherlock and make both characters more interesting.

It handles more of the Sherlock lore than the first one, introducing elements like Mycroft which broaden the world nicely.

The plot is less convoluted than the first one (at least to me).

The action is cool, but I can’t help feeling less impressed. Because we’ve seen this before and it’s stylized but no longer innovative.

A few months ago I would have said it’s entertaining and intriguing; that Robert Downey Jr. is a fantastic bit of fun. But a few months ago I hadn’t seen the tv show, Sherlock.

And as I was watching the movie I couldn’t help but think that the tv show is so much more elegant. The characters are more subtle but there’s more depth and authenticity to them. The way the show reveals Sherlock’s process is less hurried and revealed more clearly.

They’re obviously different creatures, but the show makes the movie seem sharp and flashy and like it’s racing through the story. Which makes the movie less palatable, as unfair as that is.

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