Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

A sequel is always a risky business, especially when following the epicness that is the first Sherlock Holmes. The first film had everything, an original take on a classic novel and all the specific details that come along with that originality. That was most of its appeal and therefore repeating it all again in a sequel would make it lose all its magic, surely?

Apparently not! Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was just as, if not more, exciting, innovative and surprising as its predecessor. As always I will not outline or divulge the plot as I shall leave that for you to discover when you watch the film yourself. Rather I shall outline the key elements of the film that made it good/bad. Holmes’ usual exuberant nature is multiplied as he is going slightly crazy as Watson’s wedding date gets ever closer. Their bromance is what keeps him in check and the thought of losing that bond literally drives him crazy, though he never lets on. The audience begins this film already knowing (and loving) the relationship that Watson and Holmes have, making the sequel even better in this sense. Another comical addition to the cast in this film is the one and only Stephen Fry! He plays ‘Sherly’s’ brother who is somewhat more accomplished than him in his career and the social sector. Therefore, the comedy element in this instalment is twice that of the first.

However, Guy Ritchie truly excelled himself in his choice of camera shots, angles and special effects. When Holmes and his entourage are trying to escape an onslaught of bullets, Ritchie’s choice to run the sequence in slow motion was a particularly good one. You will hold your breath while you watch it. Being able to take in every movement within that scene is breathtaking and details like this made the filming outstanding. Along with this is the usual Holmes premeditation of what will happen next, the slow motion vs fast forward movements allow you to enter Holmes’ mind with him and experience the curse of being a genius!

Overall, I really enjoyed this film and barely noticed it was over 2 hours long as I was so enthralled. Therefore, I would highly recommend going to see this film, even if you haven’t seen the first! It was 100% juicy.

Picture from: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1096332032/tt1515091

Arthur Christmas

Seeing as this is basically the only Christmas film out this year (which I am thoroughly disappointed about!) I felt obliged to watch Arthur Christmas. On walking into the screen I was rather sceptical about the large percentage of children in the audience. However, as the Aardman logo appeared on the screen I felt a comforting feeling as I realised this film was going to be good!

James McAvoy, being a favourite of mine, was another great pull for me. Along with other favourites, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent and Hugh Laurie promises the film to be very funny. However, I cannot vouch that everyone will find this film hilarious, as I found myself laughing out loud on my own at many points, to my own great embarrassment. Personally, I reckon Arthur Christmas achieves what every children’s film tries to do by adding in many jokes for parents while keeping it PC enough for kids.

Also, the many details that the makers thought about was quite incredible and pleasantly surprised me, though I am a sucker for attention to detail. This included a machine which measured how nice each child was and gave them presents proportional to their niceness – genius!
I can safely say that this film is juicy and that it’s the best Christmas film I’ve seen in ages! Definitely worth a watch.

Picture from: http://www.impawards.com/2011/arthur_christmas_ver4.html

Hugo

A Martin Scorsese production, Hugo is a far cry from his usual adult-based clientèle as this family friendly heart-warmer is nothing like Shutter Island and Goodfellas. This new look Scorsese flick appeals to all audiences as the star-studded cast all bring different things to the plate. Ben Kingsley appeals to the mature film lover, Sacha Baron Cohen is his usual (I say this lightly) ‘funny’ self while Kickass’ Chloe Grace Moretz and, newcomer, Asa Butterfield bring the fresh-faced cuteness every children’s film needs. The fame didn’t end there as the magical cast of Harry Potter turned out with Helen McCrory, Frances de la Tour and Richard Griffiths along with Lord of the Rings star Christopher Lee. With this cast, Hugo has no chance of failure.

The out of this world feel Scorsese manages to create though it is set in 1930s Paris gives this film the important magical feel that makes it special. It almost has a fairytale ring to it as Hugo is left to fend for himself after his father is killed in a horrendous fire. He ends up working the clocks at a train station while living in its walls on his own. Therefore, the character base for this film consists of the inhabitants of the train station shops including a toy shop owner, a florist and the station inspector. The mystery of the plot, including the automaton Hugo must fix to console himself after his father’s death, is revealed in an innocent and surprising twist.

However, the audience base may be downsized by the innocence of the plot but that did not include me! I really enjoyed it though I thought it would be improved in some places. I rate this film as ripe, but not quite juicy.

Picture from: http://www.impawards.com/2011/hugo_ver3.html