---
title: "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows"
critics_score: 56
critics_reviews: 23
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011): what the critics said

Critics' score 56 from 23 reviews: 8 positive, 8 mixed, 7 negative.

The reviews split almost evenly three ways, and the critics’ score settles in the middle as a result. Where there is agreement, it is on the cast. Most critics enjoy the sparring between Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, and Jared Harris’s Moriarty is singled out again and again as the film’s best asset: poised, suave, quietly menacing. Those who like the film call it faster and funnier than the original, confident enough in its own silliness to carry an evening.

The reservations cluster around Guy Ritchie’s direction. Several reviews complain of repetitive slow-motion action, a muddled plot and a frantic, cluttered opening, and Noomi Rapace’s underwritten character is a frequent target. The spread is wide, running from warm recommendations at IndieWire and Total Film to near-total dismissal at The New Yorker. Slant stands apart in finding Harris wasted as a generic villain, and Digital Spy is one of the few to enjoy the slow motion rather than resent it.

## IndieWire — Todd Gilchrist

Rating B+. 9 December 2011. 

Gilchrist calls the film a solid, engaging sequel that rewards fans without simply repeating the original. He praises its top-notch action and the chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, while noting that the story takes too long to find focus.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-an-engaging-entertaining-sequel-brimming-with-charisma-top-notch-action-114143/)

## The Guardian — Xan Brooks

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2011. 

Brooks finds the film a lively, infectious escapist adventure, despite its loose debt to Holmes canon. He praises the energetic chemistry between Downey Jr’s Holmes and Harris’s Moriarty, especially their charged rivalry.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/dec/13/sherlock-holmes-game-shadows-review)

## Total Film — Neil Smith

Rating 4/5. 9 December 2011. 

The critic calls it a faster, funnier, higher-grade sequel that delivers entertaining blockbuster action. He praises Jared Harris’s compelling Moriarty and the film’s brisk pace, while faulting its weak female characters and occasionally off-target moments.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-review/)

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 24 November 2010. 

Nathan finds the sequel confident, entertaining and self-aware, praising its energetic fun without demanding more seriousness or complexity. He especially singles out Jared Harris’s poised Moriarty, while criticizing Noomi Rapace’s underwritten character.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sherlock-holmes-game-shadows-review/)

## Variety — Brian Lowry

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 8 December 2011. 

Lowry finds this sequel more rewarding than its predecessor, despite its noisy, over-stimulated approach. He singles out Jared Harris’s suave, menacing Moriarty and the quieter scenes between Holmes and his adversary for praise.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-1117946719/)

## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2011. 

Sharkey finds the sequel brighter and entertaining, though its plotting and repeated effects weaken it. She praises the performances of Downey and Law, along with the film’s richly detailed production design and costumes.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-dec-16-la-et-sherlock-holmes-20111216-story.html)

## Screen Daily — Mark Adams

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2011. 

The page identifies this as a review, but its text is hidden behind a paywall. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint are unavailable.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/-sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows/5035564.article)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page content is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is available in the supplied text.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/movies/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-review.html)

## Radio Times — Brian Pendreigh

Rating 3/5. 

Pendreigh finds the film more comic-book spectacle than Conan Doyle, but still entertaining. He singles out Robert Downey Jr’s charm and comic timing as its main strengths.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-fajr40/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows/)

## The AV Club — Keith Phipps

Rating C. 15 December 2011. 

Phipps judges the sequel a busy, ultimately boring misfire that falls short of the first film. He faults its uninvolving plot, gratuitous stylistic flourishes, and unsatisfying anticlimax.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-1798170859)

## Time Out — Tom Huddleston

Rating 2/5. 13 December 2011. 

The review gives the film a modest two-star rating. The available description frames it as an inevitable follow-up to the 2009 reboot.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-1)

## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager

Rating 1.5/4. 14 December 2011. 

Schager finds the sequel a tedious, muddled disappointment. He criticizes its overused slow-motion effects and notes that Jared Harris is wasted as a generic villain.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 38/100 (inferred from the text). 8 December 2011. 

McCarthy finds the film an overworked, uneven entertainment whose detours often drag, though it eventually delivers a decent climax. He praises the sparring between Downey and Law, while criticizing the repetitive slow-motion action and Rapace’s underused role.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/sherlock-holmes-a-game-shadows-271523/)

## Evening Standard

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. 

The critic dismisses the film as a brainless, travestied action franchise, though it may work as silly holiday entertainment. They praise Robert Downey Jr.’s volatile, watchable presence, while criticizing the visual gimmick used to represent Holmes’s intelligence.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-review-7428077.html)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2018. 

Edelstein dismisses the sequel as overblown, inelegant, and cluttered, with muddled action and a weak performance from Downey Jr. He singles out Jared Harris’s chilling, understated Moriarty as the main reason to watch.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2011/12/movie-review-the-maximum-clutter-of-sherlock-holmes-game-of-shadows.html)

## The New Yorker

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic dismisses the film as a failure that undermines Holmes’s deductive reasoning. They also fault Ritchie’s overuse of slow motion for disrupting the action.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-2)

## The Playlist

Fi1m's normalised score 79/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2011. 

The headline characterizes the sequel as engaging and entertaining. It singles out the film’s charisma and top-notch action for praise.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-an-engaging-entertaining-sequel-brimming-with-charisma-top-notch-action-20111209/)

## Den of Geek — Rachel Bowles

Rating 3 out of 5. 12 December 2011. 

Bowles finds it a solid, entertaining film, but says it does not move meaningfully beyond its predecessor. She praises the Holmes–Moriarty scenes and the central detective story, while criticizing the frenetic opening and Rapace’s underused role.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-review/)

## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael

Rating 3/5. 10 December 2011. 

The critic finds the sequel energetic but let down by a muddled, poorly thought-through plot. The exhilarating slow-motion action is a highlight, though Holmes is less interesting this time around.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a355369/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-review/)

## NME — Owen Nicholls

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2011. 

Nicholls finds the film entertaining but held back by an unconvincing plot and weaker character appeal. He praises the playful chemistry between Holmes and Watson, singling out their affectionate looks and physical comedy.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/blogs/the-movies-blog/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-film-review-781811)

## Paste — Jeremy Mathews

Rating 6.0/10. 15 December 2011. 

Mathews finds the sequel enjoyable in much the same ways as its predecessor, but ultimately tiresome and middling. He praises Downey Jr. and Law’s comic chemistry while criticizing the underused women and tedious, muddled action.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sherlock-holmes/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows)

## Eye for Film — Donald Munro

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2011. 

Munro finds the film entertaining but weighed down by pacing problems and a lack of substance. He praises its over-the-top visuals and stunts, which he says work best on the big screen.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-film-review-by-donald-munro)

## HeyUGuys — Jon Lyus

Rating 2/5. 14 May 2012. 

Lyus finds the sequel disappointing, saying it quickly runs out of steam and its set-pieces feel disconnected. He singles out Noomi Rapace’s underused character as a particularly glaring weakness.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-blu-ray-review/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows.md