When I was growing up, it was easy: Basil Rathbone was Sherlock Holmes. Since then, I've enjoyed a lot of different interpretations, including the wonderful Nicholas Briggs in the Big Finish audio adventures, but Jeremy Brett is still definitive to me, since he's the closest to Holmes as he appeared in the canon.
Growing up it was Basil Rathbone. The best in my opinion even if he didn't portray the more eccentric side of the character. More recently, the BBC show Sherlock is one of the most accurate to the original books even though it's set in Modern day.
@Anthony Lee Collins Jeremy Brett all day. Just happened upon that version on daytime TV when I was off sick from work one day. Gobsmacked. Not only the best Sherlock for me (although BC comes a very close second), but just outright one of the best performances I've seen in anything, by anyone. Amazing.
That's cute, but I also think he was relaxing his body/meditating so he'd be limp when he hit the water; better chance of survival. Similar to how drunk drivers avoid injury b/c they are loose and don't tense up.
Saw the same thing with a skier who got knocked out in speed competition and did numerous bone breaking flips but since he was knocked out his body went limp and he had no broken bones. Think it’s called rag-doll
I remember, years ago in the theater, people started cheering when Holmes finally started his inner monologue during the Moriarty fight, then became completely silent when Moriarty's inner monologue joined in... it was awesome.
The "battle of the minds" scene is one of my favorite in any movie. Another somewhat meta thing this sequel does, which in my mind makes it one of the best, is that it uses the 'Sherlock scan' from the first film, and the first half of this, to lull the audience into following Sherlocks deductions, seeing what he sees, and like him, feel like you know what is going on. Then, especially in the opera house sequence, pulls the rug out from underneath you when you realize that you were wrong. Just like Sherlock felt. It gets the viewer in the head of the protagonist in a way I only ever see in novels, but with a visual medium. It's fantastic. Then at the summit during the chest game, when Holmes starts doing his 'fight analysis' , and Moriaty cuts in, like he is in Sherlocks head. Because he is. And the back and forth there has high stakes, not just because they are both describing the strengths and weaknesses that will lead to Holmes losing, but because we have already been shown that Moriarty CAN beat him once already in the film. But it's the way it is filmed that sells it, taking the familiar automatic win sequence of Sherlock planning his smackdown and disrupting it with the villain cutting in and doing it too, which also gets in the audiences head and makes you uneasy as now the outcome is uncertain. Again, getting you in the mindset and feelings of the protagonist. And communicating it almost entirely visually. When he is on his A game, Guy Ritchie is one of the greatest visual artists ever.
i must admit, i was a bit disappointed when these two never got a chance to actually fight. because; 1) im a succer for boss fights 2) they've mentioned moriarty's boxing skills, so it would be a cool pay off but neverthless, this one was one of the most satisfying villain defeat i've ever seen.
What I like about the waterfall scene is that during the mental battle between Holmes and Moriarty, Moriarty seems to have the upper hand in the fight but what he doesn’t take into account is Holmes willing to sacrifice his own life to take him down and to protect his friend, showing how Moriarty is so selfish and narcissistic that he doesn’t take into account that Sherlock would be capable of such a selfless act which ends up being what defeats him.
I think another great point is that neither of them consider outside sources such as Watson. It was a weakness already shown by Sherlock when he was saving Simza, and that is something that I find fascinating.
Actually I think so too: I always wondered if killing Adler was supposed to provoke Holmes, but it may have been a warning, one that would have worked if Sherlock was a egomaniac like Moriarty. Moriarty also was content with leaving Holmes alive after the chess game, until he realized Sherlock destroyed his plans.
Haha! My favorite part is right before that, when Watson turns around to see her missing, Holmes' first words are "It had to be done." Given the first movie, Watson's reaction is understandable. :'D
I always found it hysterical his choice of words there, like it makes the act of throwing her off a train even more deplorable since she's a "brand new" wife smh
Moriarty is the perfect villain. His calm demeanor just sends chills down your spine. And yet, when he starts tapping his pen, you can tell he's furious.
Moriarty's level of intelligence rivals Holmes and he is incredibly unpredictable. He predicts and knows what move and plan you are going to make before you do and he can outsmart you by manipulating and playing with your mind and intelligence.
There's a quote that say *In a war, Informations are more important than weapons. And here is Moriarty have both of them, literally dangerous type of villain
"The Final Problem", which featured Moriarty and ended with him & Sherlock going over the waterfall at Reichenbach together, WAS meant to be the death of Sherlock Holmes and the last Sherlock Holmes story. But 10 years later, Doyle finally caved to the pressure to bring him back lol.
I haven't confirmed it for myself, but I've heard it said that Doyle truly did kill Sherlock, but there was such an outcry that he had to find a way to bring him back.
@@Crunchles Yeah, essentially. "Outcry" in this case meaning "several years of hate mail and random people on the street calling him a murderer to his face" lmao
@@fightscrimewhilesleeping4024 I'd heard about the hate mail but the people calling him murderer on the street is just icing on the cake. Honestly quite a big compliment for the author to have readers care about their characters so much.
@@Cantmakeupmymindonanameno because the author did not want to continue writing Sherlock Holmes. He only brought him back to life after serious rioting of the English public.
@@jimmy2k4o and the Maxim machine gun (the first automatic rather than manual) was designed in 1884 and produced successfully starting in 1886-87 since it didn't work properly until reliable smokeless powder became available
@apollohateshisdayjob9606 correction, the Maxim was the first Production machinegun, there were numerous experimental machineguns created for decades before.
Guy Richie's camera work in the chase scene in the forest was phenomenal and shot so well to let the audience follow what was happening. It wasn't gimmicky slow-mo, it was purposefully shot so we can see all of the characters and where they are and what they were doing. It really embodied Sherlock's mind: in all the chaos, he still finds focus even in the minute details.
It's also something Ritchie has done for much of his career...his first film has similar, if less ambitious, shots of that sort. He was an early pioneer of that shooting style.
9:06 - Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older, SMARTER brother, played here by one of my favorite British actors, Steven Fry. 9:32 - And it's at THIS moment that all the Holmes fans that DIDN'T go into the theater knowing what was coming collectively said "Oh, shit." 11:39 - 'Crack his eggs' and 'flip the omelet.' ALWAYS gets me. 32:00 - "Mine is bigger than yours." 33:06 - The Gatling Gun was first invented in 1862. It would only take a little timely inspiration and the proper resources to scale it down, and Moriarty has both in abundance.
There were attempts to motorized the Gatlings with electric motors in the late 1800s, basically steampunk mini guns, but the Maxim machine gun appeared at roughly the same time and was much more practical. The weapon tech in this movie is about 10 to 20 years to early, at least what is shown in the factory. The Mauser pistol wasn't invented for another 5 years, and the concept for the small machine-gun Watson used would not be around for 20. The Maxim used on the train is also a little early, but not impossibly so. What's funny is Moriartys plan is this movie is identical and just as steampunk ish as the Moriarty in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
I really love how this film used Watson and Mary as well as Holmes and Moriarty. Instead of ignoring the "human characters", it made them the focal point for this game between mad geniuses. Also, "The Final Problem" did end with that paragraph :)
"You think you're the only who can play this game?" I remember getting goose bumps when I watched this in the theater and I still get them today when I hear this line. I have not seen every Sherlock Holmes movie or TV series, but this version of Moriarty terrifies me.
The line "Come if convient, if inconvient come anyway," I'm pretty sure was in the book because Sherlock uses that too in an episode. And I absolutely love that line.
@@theJ3ZA Well, and logistically... there's ALOT going on... stunts, the dancing, lots of extras... all that sort of stuff starts adding time needed to get it all done.
I love the evolution of Sherlock. In the first movie everything goes always as Sherlock plans it in his mind. In the second movie nothing plays out as he thinks, to the point of him learning to embrace it and go of plan.
In the original stories, the "death" and return of Holmes occur respectively in The Final Problem and The Adventure of the Empty House. In the latter, since Moriarty actually did die at Reichenbach, Doyle introduces as a new villain Moriarty's right-hand man, Colonel Sebastian Moran, whom we meet in this movie.
What's funny is, they never actually fight. That was all in Holmes head. He realized before the first punch he was going to lose, and knew Moriarty knew it too. So he didn't actually fight him. He grabbed him, and took both of them over the edge. Something Moriarty couldn't predict because he was thinking in terms of 'winners and losers' not like Holmes in 'taking you down no matter what' because Moriarty would continue to threaten the people he cared about if not taken out.
I remember being so surprised and a little bummed that they killed off Irene practically right at the beginning of this film. I was like, "WHAT?! Seriously?" She was so much fun, I felt like we hadn't gotten all we could have out of the character.
Agreed. Irene Adler is such a beloved character, despite the short time she is in the books. They at least could have had her imprisoned or something. She was killed off way too early.
It was probably done to show Moriarty's ruthlessness and willingness to tie up all loose ends, but I do agree, Irene was extremely underutilized. When I first saw the film I was extremely saddened by her death and thought she could have been used more.
@@ghastryder3945 she isnt dead, the colour of the blood on her handkerchief was exactly the same of the wine on the cloth holmes smelled at simza's tent.
@@millontc4146 Hmmmmm, the possibilities are endless in the Holmes universe so it could be possible she is alive. I'm holding out hope for what you say is true.
I will never forget seeing this in a crowded theater - and the GASP that went up with "Come now... You really think you're the only one who can play this game?"
I have always been terrified of Moriarty. He's so calm, polite, and respectful that you really don't know WHAT he has planned.. You guys gotta react to the show; like RDJ and Jude Law, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman play the role so well, I never expected to love other representations like I loved RDJ and Jude's.
From Basil Rathbone to Cumberbatch, this character never grows old. Since you like these films, I do hope you consider the series with Cumberbatch, he really gives Sherlock a wonderful twist and Andrew Scott's Moriarity is a master class of twisted genius. Also a lot of easter eggs from the books.
Love how at the end, for all their genius, Holmes and Moriarty are so obsessed with their game that both fail to take into consideration the obvious fact that Watson is going to appear there any moment
My favorite part is the bomb scene and the opera playing in the background. It's especially poignant if you know what the opera is about. The song is from the opera Don Giovanni, of course, but the point of the song is about a man who has committed several atrocities in his life basically giving the middle finger to someone trying to redeem his soul. In the end, he's dragged down to hell kind of like the fisherman who is dragged down by the trout.
@@robertoleary5470 I think a major reason for delay was that RDJ was probably locked in contracts as Ironman. After Endgame, those contracts opened up, and there were talks about making a 3rd, but then the pandemic happened and delayed all that
The visual beauty of this movie during the escape from the artillery firing is wonderful. Very nice reaction. Noomi Rapace did a great job, she has the right face for her role.
Now that you're on a Sherlock Holmes binge, you may as well watch The Great Mouse Detective if you haven't already. The author of the book which that is based off of was a member of the sherlockian society and based many elements of the characters she created off of the Sherlock Holmes books. She actually knew Adrian Conan Doyle, sir Arthur's son, personally.
I found it funny that for that dramatic theoretical fight between Sherlock and Moriarty, both of them failed to predict that Watson would be coming through the door. If they had actually fought it would have been Sherlock and Watson versus Moriarty and they would have won 😅
I love these movies, I wish that there was a third movie. But I prefer the first movie more. RDJ and Jude Law dynamic was soo good, they sold the bromance.
The run through the woods escaping the weapons factory is one of the most beautifully shot sequences. The zoom in/out, the time changes, following artillery and bullets through the chaos... almost like the chaos is the main character in the sequence. I really wish they would make more of these... these two movies were just so much damn fun. And perfectly cast. Think of Moriarty and Holmes like Batman and The Joker. And Mycroft, in the books, basically RAN the British government. Whatever role he had, more or less everything had to go through him. He was involved in espionage and covert operations as well as the Navy and Army, etc. He was also enormously fat and NEVER worked. He sat in the gentleman's club he belonged to and ate all the time. If someone had to go search something up, he called on his brother Sherlock. And sometimes when Sherlock was utterly stumped he'd go to Mycroft who was the smarter of the two of them.
Watched this again yesterday. Moriarty is the perfect mix of intimidating and mysterious. “Come now, you think you’re the only one…” is outstanding thrill. Also the scene running through the forest after they escape the Armory is cinematic history.. that imagery is nuts
"Fine, dinner and a shoooowww." sniff sniff, I miss her. I saw an interview with Guy 'a while back' where he said they finalized the script for the 3rd outing and that Downey had signed off on it, so they were ready to shoot because they had have a window between Infinity Wars and Endgame that Downey was available for. I guess the shoot went over that window and they never got to make it. Considering how 'close' they are to having the finalized ingredients, it's just a matter of time for them to get around to it; just wish it wasn't taking this long :/ And as everyone has already said, yes, please do BBC's Sherlock. The first coupla seasons are brilliant. Then maybe get back to more Ritchie, maybe start at the beginning, Lock Stock, and go forward :)
The first season of the Sherlock TV show is phenomenal. But it slowly starts getting just weird until it is not Sherlock at all. For me the 4th season was a big "WTF is going on here?" Would love to see you both react to the first 3 seasons though.
see i enjoyed them all, it definitely felt different but was entertaining and well done all the same. final seasons of shows are always a hot topic, usually people don’t like them. i guess it’s just too difficult to write final seasons to everyone’s taste
The idea was to change things up and keep the audience off balance and unable to really predict where things were going. Whether that was a good idea or a bad one is largely up to the individual. I for one enjoyed the change up and differences. It still worked.
41:51 This line, just how he says it so matter of factly. He knew exactly what depths the European countries would sink. And he wasn't wrong they got 2 industrial wars back to back within the 1st 45 years of the 1900s.
So the opening scene, the explosion in front of the Cathedral, that was filmed in Strasbourg, and it was all practical, explosion included. My dad was an extra there too
The hound of the Baskerville's with Jeremy Brett is a must watch - one of the classic ones imo! I can't wait to see what they have in store for the next Sherlock with RDJ though. He's so good. No-One could give Sherlock as much of a challenge, as Moriarty imo
The BBC show highlights Sherlock's and Moriarty's relationship a lot more and the actors overall are great! Cumberbatch, Freeman and Scott really bring their A- game acting. So I would deffo watch the show if I were you guys!
LOVED this one!!! So much more than the first one 😂 rdj and Jude law had more time I feel to get into the characters and the way they made the movie was SO amazing.
For “that scene” I feel that it was used for a.) it is a cool scene with the action and the camera work but I also think it is used for b.) to show the enormity of what is coming. What I mean is that it is at the turn of the century to the 1900’s that the world is becoming more advanced; the electric light in 1879 and the telephone in 1876 were just the beginning. Weapons were being advanced as well. No one really saw the devastation that those weapons could do until WWI, Sherlock included (at least in movie standards). That’s why I think this scene was in the movie, to show us the audience and Sherlock that this is what is in store if Moriarty get his way. Of course Sherlock beats him, but as we know in the end, Moriarty was right, it just took them 23 years to begin WWI.
We rarely see scripts this smart, and so well directed. The title looks to me like a sly reference to the espionage war between the British Empire and the Russian Empire. In the UK, they called it "The Great Game," and in Russia they called it "The Tournament of Shadows." So it was an appropriate title for a story in which Holmes takes on a mastermind who is not only bringing the world to WW1, but who plans to profit handsomely from it ... which is a theme of WW1, as there were big war profiteers, and this was widely discussed. So this story was well crafted and rooted in history, as well as in the general Holmes mythos, especially in light of adaptations of Holmes in film during the WW2 era (the Basil Rathbone series).
33:05 It's interesting to note that most of the weapons and Moran's suppressor in the movie have a prototype or basis in reality. Of course, guns like the C96 and Maxim light (sub) machine gun were anachronistic by a couple of years, but it works well with the historical fiction setting leading up to the First World War.
There's a fun... let's call it an... open-ended implication - about Mycroft Holmes. You'll notice that he's effectively head of a very early form of the British Secret Service. A later spy agency that could very well have been a descendant of this one is the famous MI6 - the agency that 007 James Bond worked for. And Bond's boss in most of the movies was code-named "M". M possibly an homage in that universe to... Mycroft, perhaps? If you like to tie in various movies and shows via oblique details like that in fan-fiction, they've certainly provided a hook for that, here!
The real code letter for the head of the British Secret Intelligence Service is C, taken from the surname of the first to occupy the office - Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming. All of this was classified until quite recently, but was known to Ian Flemming as he had worked for SIS himself. So using the letter M in the Bond books was an inside joke.
If you notice Mycroft is the one who disarms the assassin and orders his attendant to protect the ambassador. He runs toward the trouble. Which was at odds with his demeanor prior. Which suggests like Sherlock he is capable of a lot more than he appears at first. Also Stephen Fry is great, he has that combo of being disarmingly funny and non-threatening, but is also a very large man with an intimidating presence if required. The latter he doesn't get the chance to use often enough.
Yes indeed, the final lines Watson typed were the final lines of the story depicting Holmes vs. Moriarty. There's quite a lot of dialogue from that story, along with several other Homes stories, in this film as well as the previous.
I rewatched this movie months ago for the first time in years and HOLY COW it was so much better than I remembered. I personally thought the action was fine but I can see how it can take some out of the movie. I def teared up a couple of times especially when we thought Holmes was dead🥲 I remember when the breather and camouflage were revealed, I felt like Watson in the situation and was mad at him waiting THIS long to reveal he wasn't dead to his best friend but also relieved he was alive. Mix of emotions I wasn't expecting for Sherlock movie, but I loved it✨
That scene in the forest with the slow mo running took weeks to film; they had camera rigs 40 feet long that would whip around at lightning speed to capture that slow mo running. Also that bullet passing Watson's jacket was a real cloth simulation of a bullet being shot past a dummy with the same clothing and they edited it into the shot.
Also the show motion filming was done by Gavin Free, also known from the Slo-Mo Guys and Achievement Hunter/Rooster Teeth. Which is astounding because if you only knew him from Rooster Teeth you wouldn't think the guy could tie his shoes without hurting three people and himself.
"The Reichenbach Falls" I did a quick search in the comments, and I can't find anyone referencing this... so, just to cover the bases: yes, the final match between Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty really happens at the Reichenbach Falls in the story "The Final Problem". That's the only paralel, because the plot doesn't have any peace conference and the Fall (a real place) doesn't have that spectacular setting. The story behind the death and resurrection of Holmes, though, is another remarkable story. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Holmes, was interested in writting other stories. He has, for example, some very interesting horror stories and another collection of sci-fi-ish books adapted to TV: The Lost World (not to be confused with the sequel of Jurassic Park, this one is about a group of adventurers that discover dinosaurs alive in virgin unexplored territory... the joys of living in the XIX century). Anyway, crafting the mysteries of Holmes just took a lot of time, and he really wanted to experiment with his craft, so he came to the conclusion he had to kill Holmes to get rid of any future work associated with him. Unfortunately, the plan backfired: people was furious about Holmes' "death" to levels never seen before. Basically, the readers "bullied" Doyle to resurrect Holmes, with an associated explanation as to why he didn't die (the marksman in the film, Sebastian Moran, is part of that answer in the following story: The Adventure of the Empty House). Yep, campaigns to salvage "a story" weren't born with Netfilx or even with TV: Sherlock Holmes was saved by fans and some of his finest stories saw the light after this event (The Hound of the Baskervilles, for example, was written after Doyle had decided to kill him). How is exactly Holmes, outside the Ritchie vision? Well, if you haven't, you could try the film "Mr. Holmes" with Ian McKellen (partially, and very loosely, based in one of his last stories).
First-time commentator on White Noise Reacts. Great reaction, you guys! While you have voiced an interest in watching the relatively recent and popular BBC series _Sherlock_ (2012-17), may I suggest that you instead watch the Granada _Sherlock Holmes_ series (1984-1994), which starred the late, great Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes? Though it may seem like an oddity against the heavily-promoted series starring Benedict Cumberbatch, I promise you guys that it is as close to an immaculately faithful adaptation of the original works by Arthur Conan Doyle that you will ever find in terms of plot, setting and, not least, the main actor’s unforgettable portrayal of Holmes (I personally consider Jeremy Brett’s performance to be the definitive standard against which all other media portrayals of Holmes are measured). In addition to being the spitting image of artist Sidney Paget’s illustrations of Sherlock Holmes from _The Strand Magazine_ , Brett became so fanatically devoted to researching and embodying the character of Holmes that it actually took a mental toll on him (in addition to him already being manic-depressive); in return, he managed to physically, tonally, verbally, facially and quotationally emulate the athleticism, demeanour, body language, neuroticism and underlying humanity of the literary character down to a T. All of the above seem even more remarkable when one considers the fact that Brett began the role at age 50 until his unfortunate death at age 61. To this day, the Granada _Sherlock Holmes_ series remains his legacy. Regardless of your choice, should you wish to broach the Granada series starring Jeremy Brett, note that its four "seasons" were released under different titles. They are as follows: 1) _The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes_ (1984-85) 2) _The Return of Sherlock Holmes_ (1986-88) 3) _The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes_ (1991-93) 4) _The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes_ (1994) Best regards
This was definitely a step up in ambition for Pr. Moriarty. In the books, Moriarty was the Napoleon of Crime; helping criminals orchestrate forgeries, robberies and murders, even protecting criminals from the law, in exchange for a percentage. Here, Moriarty is seeking to orchestrate a world war with which he would profit. All he had to do was wait a few more years.
Gavin free from slow mo guys/achievement Hunter/rooster teeth was on corridor digital to explain how they filmed the slow mo running scene with the trees exploding in real time :)
definitely check out BBC's SHERLOCK after this, these 2 movies are good and all but SHERLOCK is incredible. the writing, cinematography, the pacing,the story, all fantastic, each episode is like a film. IMDB top 5 for a reason, I absolutely adore it
While I agree, I much prefer this interpretation of Moriarty. BBC Moriarty just didn't do it for me. I love the actor of course, but this version played by Jared Harris is for me the definitive version.
@@whitenoisereacts while I agree that you should see the BBC version of Sherlock, I think that the best depiction in tv of Sherlock is the show elementary, is just way better in my humble opinion
Super stoked that you guys are watching 'The Gentlemen' next, one of my favourite Guy Ritchie movies, but you asked for recommendations for more Guy Ritchie movies to watch, so I would recommend 'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword'. Also, if you're interested, the guys at Corridor Crew looked at the VFX in the scene where Sherlock and Co. are running from the goons in the forest. I highly suggest you check that out.
The international tension is fairly accurate. After Otto Von Bismark united the various principalities, duchies, baronies, and other "Cinderella" kingdoms of what used to be the Holy Roman Empire into the modern state of Germany (part of which involved the Franco/Prussian War in 1870) a massive international competition started. France, England, and Germany began a massive arms race and a lot of diplomatic saber rattling to prove which of them was the biggest, most powerful, most advanced, most intellectual, most cultural, most industrial, bestest evar country in the world. The revival of the Olympics in 1896 was a part of this competition. The big universities were in on it. They all swept in the other countries of Europe (Germany's long-time ally in Austria-Hungary, Spain, Italy - which had just undergone its own unification process - Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Tsarist Russia) into a web of alliances and counter alliances. Treaties restricting the size of artillery and battleships tried to reign in the constant effort to build bigger and better bombs and guns were constantly being negotiated and renegotiated when new technological developments let them build bigger ships and bigger canons or more rapid firing machine guns. Alfred Nobel, the inventor of the high explosive, was horrified by the prospect of "war on an industrial scale" his own invention made possible and provided in his will for the Nobel Peace Prize (first awarded in 1897) in an effort to forestall the coming war. On top of England and Germany arming up for a "war to end all wars," every country in Europe had multiple revolutionary movements (frequently Marxist in nature - some nationalist - some wanting more democracy less of the "we're all technically empires still" type of government) all engaging in various levels of civil unrest to outright terrorism. These groups were often supported financially and materially by the intelligence bureaus of rival countries. What started World War I was a radical from a group fighting for Serbian independence from the Austria-Hungarian Empire assassinating the heir to the Empire.
The music played when Sherlock rides the pony is a nod to the western comedy movie Two Mules For Sister Sarah staring Clint Eastwood and Shirley Mclaine
My ex bought me a book for my birthday about 15 years ago of every sherlock homes short story and novels compiled into one book with all the original illustrations as they first appeared in the strand magazine and publications thereafter. I'm happily married to my now wife with kids, but i must admit that is still one of the best gifts I ever recieved.
Another comparison is that of Sherlock Holmes as the 19th century age of enlightenment man and Moriarty as the 20th century industrialized man. Holmes could not A) comprehend the thought of an industrialized war and B) comprehend that once stopped, it would happen at some point anyway...Moriarty both comprehended it, but was actively working to make it happen. In his POV, as it was going to happen, he would position himself to make the most $$ from it. The scene at the arms factory and then the use of the more modern weapons, beyond the slick and style of the scene, was there to illustrate in a most graphic way the transition of the worldview from Holmes' to Moriarty's. Holmes and Watson and the gypsies belong to the 19th century and the 20th century would destroy them violently...the scene was Moriarty's world view trying to demonstrate to Holmes' world view that they no longer belonged and would be destroyed by the new world order. There was a book, titled The 7% Solution, written by Nicholas Meyer (who directed Star Trek's 2 and 6 movies, as well as a movie Time after Time in which Jack the Ripper steals H.G. Wells' time machine and goes to the 20th century (thus playing with the 19th vs. 20th century man motif). The connection here is that the 7% Solution is Holmes succumbing to his cocaine addiction and fixating on an innocent Dr. Moriarty (who was actually an innocent man). Watson and Moriarty trick Holmes into following Moriarty to Austria, where they have him put in a hospital run by Dr. Sigmund Freud, who psychologically counsels Holmes and gets him off his drug addiction. While in hospital, Holmes discovers a conspiracy to cause a European multi-national war (i.e. instigate WW1) and he and Watson then have to act to stop the conspiracy and stop the war from starting. I've not read or seen interviews from the screenwriters or Guy Ritchie w/r to Game of Shadows, but I have to think some elements of the 7% Solution novel were brought into this story. Also, in the classic Conan Doyle stories, he and Moriarty have their confrontation at Reichenbach Falls and both go over with Holmes presumably dead. Conan Doyle meant that to be the end of his writing Holmes stories, but demand dictated that he bring Holmes back to life for a few more stories.
The Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland is a real place. Of course it doesn't look like in this movie, but it's still a very nice place to visit. Just go to the town of Meiringen in Kanton Bern. The Falls are right next to it. There are some nice Sherlock-dedicated things to see there, etc... ;-)
I would love to see you both start in on the Sherlock series (with Benedict Cumberbatch). It would be an interesting compare / contrast on the Holmes and Watson dynamic and how all 4 actors play those characters. Plus, Sherlock is just a terrific series. Really fun. P.S. I share your love for the film soundtrack. I ended up buying it to listen to (especially when working) because it's so good! And I like listening to instrumental stuff when working so lyrics don't distract me. I think music helps me stay focused on my tasks.
In the books Sherlock did die in tge fight with moriarty BUT readers wanted him back so much Sir Cannon Doyle retconned his death and wrote several more stories
You should definitely check out Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch. A beautiful modernization of Holmes that still encapsulates all that make him a great character.
People also ask Is there a Sherlock Holmes 3 coming out? As of December 2022, Sherlock Holmes 3 has no confirmed release date, but we know that the film is in development. The third Sherlock Holmes movie was announced soon after the release of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, more than a decade ago, all the way back in 2011
having not sen the movie, i just watched the 1st scene in strasbourg as i know plenty of people that were extras in it! (yes, the cathedral is astonishing)
I agree about the forest scene. On the one hand an artillery barrage is a little over the top for this kind of movie but on the other-- damned if it wasn't cool. Also the submachine gun thing is kind of based on reality. I mean as soon as the brass cased cartridge was made affordably available to the public people were working on getting as much use out of it as possible. There were extant plans and patents for autoloader pistols, rifles, and carbines going back to the beginning of the 19th century, they just needed a reliable round to push them. The last real stumbling block was a cheap and reliable clean burning propellant-- as black powder will gum up even the most robust action within a few rounds-- which by the mid-1880s was already being adopted for military use.
I could teach a whole writing class just on the subtext in Holmes and Moriarty's conversation in Moriarty's classroom. They never directly say what they mean, they just dance around it. "more recent endeavors" "I will send my regards to the happy couple." It's just excellent dialogue writing.
What is your favorite version of Sherlock Holmes??
When I was growing up, it was easy: Basil Rathbone was Sherlock Holmes. Since then, I've enjoyed a lot of different interpretations, including the wonderful Nicholas Briggs in the Big Finish audio adventures, but Jeremy Brett is still definitive to me, since he's the closest to Holmes as he appeared in the canon.
Growing up it was Basil Rathbone. The best in my opinion even if he didn't portray the more eccentric side of the character. More recently, the BBC show Sherlock is one of the most accurate to the original books even though it's set in Modern day.
Jeremy Brett.
@Anthony Lee Collins Jeremy Brett all day. Just happened upon that version on daytime TV when I was off sick from work one day. Gobsmacked. Not only the best Sherlock for me (although BC comes a very close second), but just outright one of the best performances I've seen in anything, by anyone. Amazing.
This one, closely followed by BBC's version.
“Come now. You really think you’re the only one who can play this game?” - That line still gives me chills.
Holmes closed his eyes before falling, because if he didn't survive, he wanted Watson to be the last person he saw.
Oh that’s so cool!!!
That's cute, but I also think he was relaxing his body/meditating so he'd be limp when he hit the water; better chance of survival. Similar to how drunk drivers avoid injury b/c they are loose and don't tense up.
Saw the same thing with a skier who got knocked out in speed competition and did numerous bone breaking flips but since he was knocked out his body went limp and he had no broken bones. Think it’s called rag-doll
m.th-cam.com/video/SEGIyL_WoBk/w-d-xo.html
He's not petty enough to think like that lol
I remember, years ago in the theater, people started cheering when Holmes finally started his inner monologue during the Moriarty fight, then became completely silent when Moriarty's inner monologue joined in... it was awesome.
The "battle of the minds" scene is one of my favorite in any movie.
Another somewhat meta thing this sequel does, which in my mind makes it one of the best, is that it uses the 'Sherlock scan' from the first film, and the first half of this, to lull the audience into following Sherlocks deductions, seeing what he sees, and like him, feel like you know what is going on.
Then, especially in the opera house sequence, pulls the rug out from underneath you when you realize that you were wrong. Just like Sherlock felt.
It gets the viewer in the head of the protagonist in a way I only ever see in novels, but with a visual medium.
It's fantastic.
Then at the summit during the chest game, when Holmes starts doing his 'fight analysis' , and Moriaty cuts in, like he is in Sherlocks head. Because he is. And the back and forth there has high stakes, not just because they are both describing the strengths and weaknesses that will lead to Holmes losing, but because we have already been shown that Moriarty CAN beat him once already in the film.
But it's the way it is filmed that sells it, taking the familiar automatic win sequence of Sherlock planning his smackdown and disrupting it with the villain cutting in and doing it too, which also gets in the audiences head and makes you uneasy as now the outcome is uncertain. Again, getting you in the mindset and feelings of the protagonist.
And communicating it almost entirely visually.
When he is on his A game, Guy Ritchie is one of the greatest visual artists ever.
I love it so much.
i must admit, i was a bit disappointed when these two never got a chance to actually fight. because;
1) im a succer for boss fights
2) they've mentioned moriarty's boxing skills, so it would be a cool pay off
but neverthless, this one was one of the most satisfying villain defeat i've ever seen.
What I like about the waterfall scene is that during the mental battle between Holmes and Moriarty, Moriarty seems to have the upper hand in the fight but what he doesn’t take into account is Holmes willing to sacrifice his own life to take him down and to protect his friend, showing how Moriarty is so selfish and narcissistic that he doesn’t take into account that Sherlock would be capable of such a selfless act which ends up being what defeats him.
Now this ☝is what I call a brilliant character analysis.
I think another great point is that neither of them consider outside sources such as Watson. It was a weakness already shown by Sherlock when he was saving Simza, and that is something that I find fascinating.
I think Holmes won the chess match with a queen sacrifice as well.
In Moriarty's defense, Holmes was never noted for his altruism before.
Actually I think so too: I always wondered if killing Adler was supposed to provoke Holmes, but it may have been a warning, one that would have worked if Sherlock was a egomaniac like Moriarty. Moriarty also was content with leaving Holmes alive after the chess game, until he realized Sherlock destroyed his plans.
“DID YOU JUST KILL MY NEW WIFE?!” has been in my mind since I saw this movie years ago lmfao
Haha! My favorite part is right before that, when Watson turns around to see her missing, Holmes' first words are "It had to be done." Given the first movie, Watson's reaction is understandable. :'D
I always found it hysterical his choice of words there, like it makes the act of throwing her off a train even more deplorable since she's a "brand new" wife smh
Moriarty is the perfect villain. His calm demeanor just sends chills down your spine. And yet, when he starts tapping his pen, you can tell he's furious.
Moriarty's level of intelligence rivals Holmes and he is incredibly unpredictable. He predicts and knows what move and plan you are going to make before you do and he can outsmart you by manipulating and playing with your mind and intelligence.
The scene in his office where Holmes confronts him is perfect!
You couldn't have asked for a better actor to play Moriarty, either
@@rainbowpegacornstudios All the cast is perfect in these movies.
There's a quote that say
*In a war, Informations are more important than weapons.
And here is Moriarty have both of them, literally dangerous type of villain
"The Final Problem", which featured Moriarty and ended with him & Sherlock going over the waterfall at Reichenbach together, WAS meant to be the death of Sherlock Holmes and the last Sherlock Holmes story. But 10 years later, Doyle finally caved to the pressure to bring him back lol.
...and his financial failures outside of Holmes & Watson writing.
In a sernse, Doyle when he wrote the origonals invented the trope of "If you don't see a body, they aint dead."
I haven't confirmed it for myself, but I've heard it said that Doyle truly did kill Sherlock, but there was such an outcry that he had to find a way to bring him back.
@@Crunchles Yeah, essentially. "Outcry" in this case meaning "several years of hate mail and random people on the street calling him a murderer to his face" lmao
@@fightscrimewhilesleeping4024 I'd heard about the hate mail but the people calling him murderer on the street is just icing on the cake. Honestly quite a big compliment for the author to have readers care about their characters so much.
@@katara2021 And also sad that can people go that low for fictional stuff
Watson's "Eulogy" at the end of the movie is nearly word for word the last paragraph of THE FINAL SOLUTION (the "death" of Sherlock Holmes)
That’s awesome
That is awesome thank you!
Only question -was there a "?" After "the end" in the book?
@@Cantmakeupmymindonanameno because the author did not want to continue writing Sherlock Holmes. He only brought him back to life after serious rioting of the English public.
@@syn_ironwolf7879 thank you
I think you mean "The Final Problem." The Final Solution is... definitely not a Sherlock Holmes story, haha.
Sherlock and Moriarty were playing a game of chess the entire film.
The Opera scene gives me chills because Moriarty had Sherlock in check.
FYI, they had automatic weapons in the early 1900's, so it's not too obtuse to have them in this movie
The Mauser C96 was designed in 1895, so really this movie is only a few years early.
The Gatling gun was a fixture during the American civil war in the 1860s
@@jimmy2k4o and the Maxim machine gun (the first automatic rather than manual) was designed in 1884 and produced successfully starting in 1886-87 since it didn't work properly until reliable smokeless powder became available
@apollohateshisdayjob9606 correction, the Maxim was the first Production machinegun, there were numerous experimental machineguns created for decades before.
Guy Richie's camera work in the chase scene in the forest was phenomenal and shot so well to let the audience follow what was happening. It wasn't gimmicky slow-mo, it was purposefully shot so we can see all of the characters and where they are and what they were doing. It really embodied Sherlock's mind: in all the chaos, he still finds focus even in the minute details.
The slow-mo guys (on TH-cam) helped to shoot that scene!
It's also something Ritchie has done for much of his career...his first film has similar, if less ambitious, shots of that sort. He was an early pioneer of that shooting style.
It's amazing, weird how it doesn't happen more in film.
9:06 - Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older, SMARTER brother, played here by one of my favorite British actors, Steven Fry.
9:32 - And it's at THIS moment that all the Holmes fans that DIDN'T go into the theater knowing what was coming collectively said "Oh, shit."
11:39 - 'Crack his eggs' and 'flip the omelet.' ALWAYS gets me.
32:00 - "Mine is bigger than yours."
33:06 - The Gatling Gun was first invented in 1862. It would only take a little timely inspiration and the proper resources to scale it down, and Moriarty has both in abundance.
There were attempts to motorized the Gatlings with electric motors in the late 1800s, basically steampunk mini guns, but the Maxim machine gun appeared at roughly the same time and was much more practical.
The weapon tech in this movie is about 10 to 20 years to early, at least what is shown in the factory.
The Mauser pistol wasn't invented for another 5 years, and the concept for the small machine-gun Watson used would not be around for 20. The Maxim used on the train is also a little early, but not impossibly so.
What's funny is Moriartys plan is this movie is identical and just as steampunk ish as the Moriarty in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
I really love how this film used Watson and Mary as well as Holmes and Moriarty. Instead of ignoring the "human characters", it made them the focal point for this game between mad geniuses.
Also, "The Final Problem" did end with that paragraph :)
"You think you're the only who can play this game?"
I remember getting goose bumps when I watched this in the theater and I still get them today when I hear this line. I have not seen every Sherlock Holmes movie or TV series, but this version of Moriarty terrifies me.
Yeees. It's such a perfect moment.
The line "Come if convient, if inconvient come anyway," I'm pretty sure was in the book because Sherlock uses that too in an episode. And I absolutely love that line.
It is.
I believe that one's from The Crooked Man.
Fun behind the scenes fact for ya: the dancing scene at the camp, despite taking only 15 seconds of runtime, took them 3 days to film
What? Really? Why?
@@theJ3ZA probably they filmed a bunch more but only 15 seconds of it stayed in the final cut
@@theJ3ZA Well, and logistically... there's ALOT going on... stunts, the dancing, lots of extras... all that sort of stuff starts adding time needed to get it all done.
I love the evolution of Sherlock. In the first movie everything goes always as Sherlock plans it in his mind. In the second movie nothing plays out as he thinks, to the point of him learning to embrace it and go of plan.
In the original stories, the "death" and return of Holmes occur respectively in The Final Problem and The Adventure of the Empty House. In the latter, since Moriarty actually did die at Reichenbach, Doyle introduces as a new villain Moriarty's right-hand man, Colonel Sebastian Moran, whom we meet in this movie.
The fight between Holmes and Moriarty is on another level. Fighting one another to the death, but complementing each others moves at the same time.
What's funny is, they never actually fight. That was all in Holmes head.
He realized before the first punch he was going to lose, and knew Moriarty knew it too.
So he didn't actually fight him.
He grabbed him, and took both of them over the edge.
Something Moriarty couldn't predict because he was thinking in terms of 'winners and losers' not like Holmes in 'taking you down no matter what' because Moriarty would continue to threaten the people he cared about if not taken out.
I remember being so surprised and a little bummed that they killed off Irene practically right at the beginning of this film. I was like, "WHAT?! Seriously?" She was so much fun, I felt like we hadn't gotten all we could have out of the character.
Agreed. Irene Adler is such a beloved character, despite the short time she is in the books. They at least could have had her imprisoned or something. She was killed off way too early.
Women in refrigerators, lol.
It was probably done to show Moriarty's ruthlessness and willingness to tie up all loose ends, but I do agree, Irene was extremely underutilized. When I first saw the film I was extremely saddened by her death and thought she could have been used more.
@@ghastryder3945 she isnt dead, the colour of the blood on her handkerchief was exactly the same of the wine on the cloth holmes smelled at simza's tent.
@@millontc4146 Hmmmmm, the possibilities are endless in the Holmes universe so it could be possible she is alive. I'm holding out hope for what you say is true.
I will never forget seeing this in a crowded theater - and the GASP that went up with "Come now... You really think you're the only one who can play this game?"
I have always been terrified of Moriarty. He's so calm, polite, and respectful that you really don't know WHAT he has planned..
You guys gotta react to the show; like RDJ and Jude Law, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman play the role so well, I never expected to love other representations like I loved RDJ and Jude's.
I think the banter between Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Lu as Holmes and Watson was also pretty good and I like the show Elementary
That scene where he simply taps his wineglass with his spoon, and the whole restaurant empties, gives me chills every time.
From Basil Rathbone to Cumberbatch, this character never grows old. Since you like these films, I do hope you consider the series with Cumberbatch, he really gives Sherlock a wonderful twist and Andrew Scott's Moriarity is a master class of twisted genius. Also a lot of easter eggs from the books.
Love how at the end, for all their genius, Holmes and Moriarty are so obsessed with their game that both fail to take into consideration the obvious fact that Watson is going to appear there any moment
My favorite part is the bomb scene and the opera playing in the background. It's especially poignant if you know what the opera is about. The song is from the opera Don Giovanni, of course, but the point of the song is about a man who has committed several atrocities in his life basically giving the middle finger to someone trying to redeem his soul. In the end, he's dragged down to hell kind of like the fisherman who is dragged down by the trout.
I love that ending, it's so cool. Its a good ending and also foreshadowing for potential upcoming sequels. I'm so excited for the third movie.
I thought that there wasn’t going to be any more sequels
@@robertoleary5470 Only the third one for now. Maybe they create another, just saying.
@@robertoleary5470 I think a major reason for delay was that RDJ was probably locked in contracts as Ironman.
After Endgame, those contracts opened up, and there were talks about making a 3rd, but then the pandemic happened and delayed all that
In regards to the machine gun the 1st (Vickers-Maxim) was invented in 1884 so yes the one Watson used is pretty accurate for the time period. :)
Actually, gatling gun was 1864, so they can only be more advanced from there
@@cobaltsable1800 Wasn't talking about the gatling gun (1861) as its not considered as a machine gun because it's not automatic.
@yedead1 I know it's not automatic, however, historically it is considered a hand driven machine gun.
I do agree that it does not match the modern use of the term
Got to react to the Hangover series to see just how bad a stag party the night before the wedding can go.
The visual beauty of this movie during the escape from the artillery firing is wonderful.
Very nice reaction. Noomi Rapace did a great job, she has the right face for her role.
Now that you're on a Sherlock Holmes binge, you may as well watch The Great Mouse Detective if you haven't already. The author of the book which that is based off of was a member of the sherlockian society and based many elements of the characters she created off of the Sherlock Holmes books. She actually knew Adrian Conan Doyle, sir Arthur's son, personally.
19:45 you can see by the look on his face that he knows he and his mate are about to die, and he just closes his eyes in acceptance.
Holmes was killed off by A. C. Doyle, but the outcry was so great he had to bring him back. So, he lives...!
I found it funny that for that dramatic theoretical fight between Sherlock and Moriarty, both of them failed to predict that Watson would be coming through the door. If they had actually fought it would have been Sherlock and Watson versus Moriarty and they would have won 😅
No.
@@scottchaison1001, Watson was being targeted bc of Holmes. Holmes is the only one who can defeat Moriarty.
I love these movies, I wish that there was a third movie. But I prefer the first movie more.
RDJ and Jude Law dynamic was soo good, they sold the bromance.
The run through the woods escaping the weapons factory is one of the most beautifully shot sequences. The zoom in/out, the time changes, following artillery and bullets through the chaos... almost like the chaos is the main character in the sequence. I really wish they would make more of these... these two movies were just so much damn fun. And perfectly cast. Think of Moriarty and Holmes like Batman and The Joker. And Mycroft, in the books, basically RAN the British government. Whatever role he had, more or less everything had to go through him. He was involved in espionage and covert operations as well as the Navy and Army, etc. He was also enormously fat and NEVER worked. He sat in the gentleman's club he belonged to and ate all the time. If someone had to go search something up, he called on his brother Sherlock. And sometimes when Sherlock was utterly stumped he'd go to Mycroft who was the smarter of the two of them.
Watched this again yesterday. Moriarty is the perfect mix of intimidating and mysterious. “Come now, you think you’re the only one…” is outstanding thrill. Also the scene running through the forest after they escape the Armory is cinematic history.. that imagery is nuts
Ive always loved this more than the first. Moriarty is in my top 10 (maybe 5) movie villains. Done so well!
THIS is probably the best adaptation of moriarty.
I absolutely love this movie, this is some of the most intlectual and witty writing and directing that I've seen, period.
"Fine, dinner and a shoooowww." sniff sniff, I miss her.
I saw an interview with Guy 'a while back' where he said they finalized the script for the 3rd outing and that Downey had signed off on it, so they were ready to shoot because they had have a window between Infinity Wars and Endgame that Downey was available for. I guess the shoot went over that window and they never got to make it. Considering how 'close' they are to having the finalized ingredients, it's just a matter of time for them to get around to it; just wish it wasn't taking this long :/
And as everyone has already said, yes, please do BBC's Sherlock. The first coupla seasons are brilliant. Then maybe get back to more Ritchie, maybe start at the beginning, Lock Stock, and go forward :)
These movies had such a big influence on my development as a kid.
As a kid!? Damn...
@@Nekotaku_TV Yeah, time flies.
@@FluffyJackie T_T
The first season of the Sherlock TV show is phenomenal. But it slowly starts getting just weird until it is not Sherlock at all. For me the 4th season was a big "WTF is going on here?"
Would love to see you both react to the first 3 seasons though.
Oh jeez. That’s too bad
see i enjoyed them all, it definitely felt different but was entertaining and well done all the same. final seasons of shows are always a hot topic, usually people don’t like them. i guess it’s just too difficult to write final seasons to everyone’s taste
although i will never forgive the writers of the merlin tv show for that ending
The idea was to change things up and keep the audience off balance and unable to really predict where things were going. Whether that was a good idea or a bad one is largely up to the individual. I for one enjoyed the change up and differences. It still worked.
41:51 This line, just how he says it so matter of factly. He knew exactly what depths the European countries would sink. And he wasn't wrong they got 2 industrial wars back to back within the 1st 45 years of the 1900s.
So the opening scene, the explosion in front of the Cathedral, that was filmed in Strasbourg, and it was all practical, explosion included. My dad was an extra there too
Wow!!! That’s so great!
The hound of the Baskerville's with Jeremy Brett is a must watch - one of the classic ones imo! I can't wait to see what they have in store for the next Sherlock with RDJ though. He's so good. No-One could give Sherlock as much of a challenge, as Moriarty imo
The BBC show highlights Sherlock's and Moriarty's relationship a lot more and the actors overall are great! Cumberbatch, Freeman and Scott really bring their A- game acting. So I would deffo watch the show if I were you guys!
"Rock n Rolla"
written & directed by Guy Ritchie
LOVED this one!!! So much more than the first one 😂 rdj and Jude law had more time I feel to get into the characters and the way they made the movie was SO amazing.
For “that scene” I feel that it was used for a.) it is a cool scene with the action and the camera work but I also think it is used for b.) to show the enormity of what is coming. What I mean is that it is at the turn of the century to the 1900’s that the world is becoming more advanced; the electric light in 1879 and the telephone in 1876 were just the beginning. Weapons were being advanced as well. No one really saw the devastation that those weapons could do until WWI, Sherlock included (at least in movie standards). That’s why I think this scene was in the movie, to show us the audience and Sherlock that this is what is in store if Moriarty get his way. Of course Sherlock beats him, but as we know in the end, Moriarty was right, it just took them 23 years to begin WWI.
It's Wing Chun. He has a dummy for the strikes in a couple movies, including one of the Iron Mans.
Oh cool!!
Robert Downey Jr has been practicing wing chun for almost 20 years
We rarely see scripts this smart, and so well directed. The title looks to me like a sly reference to the espionage war between the British Empire and the Russian Empire. In the UK, they called it "The Great Game," and in Russia they called it "The Tournament of Shadows." So it was an appropriate title for a story in which Holmes takes on a mastermind who is not only bringing the world to WW1, but who plans to profit handsomely from it ... which is a theme of WW1, as there were big war profiteers, and this was widely discussed. So this story was well crafted and rooted in history, as well as in the general Holmes mythos, especially in light of adaptations of Holmes in film during the WW2 era (the Basil Rathbone series).
33:05 It's interesting to note that most of the weapons and Moran's suppressor in the movie have a prototype or basis in reality. Of course, guns like the C96 and Maxim light (sub) machine gun were anachronistic by a couple of years, but it works well with the historical fiction setting leading up to the First World War.
This movie is great.
There's a fun... let's call it an... open-ended implication - about Mycroft Holmes. You'll notice that he's effectively head of a very early form of the British Secret Service.
A later spy agency that could very well have been a descendant of this one is the famous MI6 - the agency that 007 James Bond worked for.
And Bond's boss in most of the movies was code-named "M".
M possibly an homage in that universe to... Mycroft, perhaps?
If you like to tie in various movies and shows via oblique details like that in fan-fiction, they've certainly provided a hook for that, here!
The real code letter for the head of the British Secret Intelligence Service is C, taken from the surname of the first to occupy the office - Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming.
All of this was classified until quite recently, but was known to Ian Flemming as he had worked for SIS himself. So using the letter M in the Bond books was an inside joke.
@@benkelly2024 Did “M” stand for something specific in Ian Fleming’s mind or notes?
@@logandarklighter Yes - Mansfield. The joke was that M is the first letter of Smith-Cumming's first name instead of C from the surname.
If you notice Mycroft is the one who disarms the assassin and orders his attendant to protect the ambassador.
He runs toward the trouble. Which was at odds with his demeanor prior. Which suggests like Sherlock he is capable of a lot more than he appears at first.
Also Stephen Fry is great, he has that combo of being disarmingly funny and non-threatening, but is also a very large man with an intimidating presence if required. The latter he doesn't get the chance to use often enough.
Yes indeed, the final lines Watson typed were the final lines of the story depicting Holmes vs. Moriarty. There's quite a lot of dialogue from that story, along with several other Homes stories, in this film as well as the previous.
Greatest achievement of the movie: a villain well worth the hype created for him......that is a rare feat. Bravo
I rewatched this movie months ago for the first time in years and HOLY COW it was so much better than I remembered. I personally thought the action was fine but I can see how it can take some out of the movie. I def teared up a couple of times especially when we thought Holmes was dead🥲 I remember when the breather and camouflage were revealed, I felt like Watson in the situation and was mad at him waiting THIS long to reveal he wasn't dead to his best friend but also relieved he was alive. Mix of emotions I wasn't expecting for Sherlock movie, but I loved it✨
That scene in the forest with the slow mo running took weeks to film; they had camera rigs 40 feet long that would whip around at lightning speed to capture that slow mo running. Also that bullet passing Watson's jacket was a real cloth simulation of a bullet being shot past a dummy with the same clothing and they edited it into the shot.
Also the show motion filming was done by Gavin Free, also known from the Slo-Mo Guys and Achievement Hunter/Rooster Teeth.
Which is astounding because if you only knew him from Rooster Teeth you wouldn't think the guy could tie his shoes without hurting three people and himself.
"The Reichenbach Falls"
I did a quick search in the comments, and I can't find anyone referencing this... so, just to cover the bases: yes, the final match between Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty really happens at the Reichenbach Falls in the story "The Final Problem".
That's the only paralel, because the plot doesn't have any peace conference and the Fall (a real place) doesn't have that spectacular setting. The story behind the death and resurrection of Holmes, though, is another remarkable story.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Holmes, was interested in writting other stories. He has, for example, some very interesting horror stories and another collection of sci-fi-ish books adapted to TV: The Lost World (not to be confused with the sequel of Jurassic Park, this one is about a group of adventurers that discover dinosaurs alive in virgin unexplored territory... the joys of living in the XIX century). Anyway, crafting the mysteries of Holmes just took a lot of time, and he really wanted to experiment with his craft, so he came to the conclusion he had to kill Holmes to get rid of any future work associated with him.
Unfortunately, the plan backfired: people was furious about Holmes' "death" to levels never seen before. Basically, the readers "bullied" Doyle to resurrect Holmes, with an associated explanation as to why he didn't die (the marksman in the film, Sebastian Moran, is part of that answer in the following story: The Adventure of the Empty House). Yep, campaigns to salvage "a story" weren't born with Netfilx or even with TV: Sherlock Holmes was saved by fans and some of his finest stories saw the light after this event (The Hound of the Baskervilles, for example, was written after Doyle had decided to kill him).
How is exactly Holmes, outside the Ritchie vision? Well, if you haven't, you could try the film "Mr. Holmes" with Ian McKellen (partially, and very loosely, based in one of his last stories).
First-time commentator on White Noise Reacts. Great reaction, you guys!
While you have voiced an interest in watching the relatively recent and popular BBC series _Sherlock_ (2012-17), may I suggest that you instead watch the Granada _Sherlock Holmes_ series (1984-1994), which starred the late, great Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes? Though it may seem like an oddity against the heavily-promoted series starring Benedict Cumberbatch, I promise you guys that it is as close to an immaculately faithful adaptation of the original works by Arthur Conan Doyle that you will ever find in terms of plot, setting and, not least, the main actor’s unforgettable portrayal of Holmes (I personally consider Jeremy Brett’s performance to be the definitive standard against which all other media portrayals of Holmes are measured).
In addition to being the spitting image of artist Sidney Paget’s illustrations of Sherlock Holmes from _The Strand Magazine_ , Brett became so fanatically devoted to researching and embodying the character of Holmes that it actually took a mental toll on him (in addition to him already being manic-depressive); in return, he managed to physically, tonally, verbally, facially and quotationally emulate the athleticism, demeanour, body language, neuroticism and underlying humanity of the literary character down to a T. All of the above seem even more remarkable when one considers the fact that Brett began the role at age 50 until his unfortunate death at age 61. To this day, the Granada _Sherlock Holmes_ series remains his legacy.
Regardless of your choice, should you wish to broach the Granada series starring Jeremy Brett, note that its four "seasons" were released under different titles. They are as follows:
1) _The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes_ (1984-85)
2) _The Return of Sherlock Holmes_ (1986-88)
3) _The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes_ (1991-93)
4) _The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes_ (1994)
Best regards
Jeremy Brett would always be my absolute favorite on-screen portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. Absolutely flawless!
I could not possibly agree with this comment any more than I already do.
Jeremy Brett is super cool. He's the definitive Maxim DeWinter in "Rebecca", the 70's mini-series, as well.
also adding to James's point about Mycroft, he *IS* the government!
You should definitely watch the Sherlock tv show, it's incredible.
This was definitely a step up in ambition for Pr. Moriarty. In the books, Moriarty was the Napoleon of Crime; helping criminals orchestrate forgeries, robberies and murders, even protecting criminals from the law, in exchange for a percentage. Here, Moriarty is seeking to orchestrate a world war with which he would profit. All he had to do was wait a few more years.
This movie is great.
"Bro, we're not watching a superhero movie."
Aren't you, though?
Gavin free from slow mo guys/achievement Hunter/rooster teeth was on corridor digital to explain how they filmed the slow mo running scene with the trees exploding in real time :)
definitely check out BBC's SHERLOCK after this, these 2 movies are good and all but SHERLOCK is incredible. the writing, cinematography, the pacing,the story, all fantastic, each episode is like a film. IMDB top 5 for a reason, I absolutely adore it
Ok, I think we will!!
I second this.
While I agree, I much prefer this interpretation of Moriarty. BBC Moriarty just didn't do it for me. I love the actor of course, but this version played by Jared Harris is for me the definitive version.
@@imransallay1875 I like the demeanor of this Moriarty more but tbh I've nnever read the books so I have no horse in this race.
@@whitenoisereacts while I agree that you should see the BBC version of Sherlock, I think that the best depiction in tv of Sherlock is the show elementary, is just way better in my humble opinion
You should do the TV show Sherlock. I think you would find it interesting. Mary gets a lot more screen time if you like her character.
A third movie has been in the works for years now. RDJ was busy with Iron Man but now that is done, hopefully we'll get another Sherlock movie soon.
That would be so cool!
@@robbob5302 It would. I've been hoping for a 3rd movie for years now.
The question mark scene really hit in the cinema, I absolutely loved it 😃
This moment 18:09 , 20:31-2038 was inspired by Heath Ledger “Joker “
Super stoked that you guys are watching 'The Gentlemen' next, one of my favourite Guy Ritchie movies, but you asked for recommendations for more Guy Ritchie movies to watch, so I would recommend 'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword'. Also, if you're interested, the guys at Corridor Crew looked at the VFX in the scene where Sherlock and Co. are running from the goons in the forest. I highly suggest you check that out.
I really enjoyed these reactions, I had almost forgotten about these films- I loved them when they came out. Jared Harris was a fantastic Moriarty.
The chapter that Sherlock dies in is ‘The Final Problem, The Reichenbach Fall’
The actor playing Moriartie (not sure correct spelling) was AMAZING in the Chernobyl series
Hell yeaaaaa. Been waiting for this one. The ending of this during the chess scene is iconic to me. What a great scene.
The international tension is fairly accurate.
After Otto Von Bismark united the various principalities, duchies, baronies, and other "Cinderella" kingdoms of what used to be the Holy Roman Empire into the modern state of Germany (part of which involved the Franco/Prussian War in 1870) a massive international competition started. France, England, and Germany began a massive arms race and a lot of diplomatic saber rattling to prove which of them was the biggest, most powerful, most advanced, most intellectual, most cultural, most industrial, bestest evar country in the world. The revival of the Olympics in 1896 was a part of this competition. The big universities were in on it.
They all swept in the other countries of Europe (Germany's long-time ally in Austria-Hungary, Spain, Italy - which had just undergone its own unification process - Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Tsarist Russia) into a web of alliances and counter alliances.
Treaties restricting the size of artillery and battleships tried to reign in the constant effort to build bigger and better bombs and guns were constantly being negotiated and renegotiated when new technological developments let them build bigger ships and bigger canons or more rapid firing machine guns. Alfred Nobel, the inventor of the high explosive, was horrified by the prospect of "war on an industrial scale" his own invention made possible and provided in his will for the Nobel Peace Prize (first awarded in 1897) in an effort to forestall the coming war.
On top of England and Germany arming up for a "war to end all wars," every country in Europe had multiple revolutionary movements (frequently Marxist in nature - some nationalist - some wanting more democracy less of the "we're all technically empires still" type of government) all engaging in various levels of civil unrest to outright terrorism. These groups were often supported financially and materially by the intelligence bureaus of rival countries.
What started World War I was a radical from a group fighting for Serbian independence from the Austria-Hungarian Empire assassinating the heir to the Empire.
The music played when Sherlock rides the pony is a nod to the western comedy movie Two Mules For Sister Sarah staring Clint Eastwood and Shirley Mclaine
My ex bought me a book for my birthday about 15 years ago of every sherlock homes short story and novels compiled into one book with all the original illustrations as they first appeared in the strand magazine and publications thereafter. I'm happily married to my now wife with kids, but i must admit that is still one of the best gifts I ever recieved.
Another comparison is that of Sherlock Holmes as the 19th century age of enlightenment man and Moriarty as the 20th century industrialized man. Holmes could not A) comprehend the thought of an industrialized war and B) comprehend that once stopped, it would happen at some point anyway...Moriarty both comprehended it, but was actively working to make it happen. In his POV, as it was going to happen, he would position himself to make the most $$ from it. The scene at the arms factory and then the use of the more modern weapons, beyond the slick and style of the scene, was there to illustrate in a most graphic way the transition of the worldview from Holmes' to Moriarty's. Holmes and Watson and the gypsies belong to the 19th century and the 20th century would destroy them violently...the scene was Moriarty's world view trying to demonstrate to Holmes' world view that they no longer belonged and would be destroyed by the new world order.
There was a book, titled The 7% Solution, written by Nicholas Meyer (who directed Star Trek's 2 and 6 movies, as well as a movie Time after Time in which Jack the Ripper steals H.G. Wells' time machine and goes to the 20th century (thus playing with the 19th vs. 20th century man motif). The connection here is that the 7% Solution is Holmes succumbing to his cocaine addiction and fixating on an innocent Dr. Moriarty (who was actually an innocent man). Watson and Moriarty trick Holmes into following Moriarty to Austria, where they have him put in a hospital run by Dr. Sigmund Freud, who psychologically counsels Holmes and gets him off his drug addiction. While in hospital, Holmes discovers a conspiracy to cause a European multi-national war (i.e. instigate WW1) and he and Watson then have to act to stop the conspiracy and stop the war from starting.
I've not read or seen interviews from the screenwriters or Guy Ritchie w/r to Game of Shadows, but I have to think some elements of the 7% Solution novel were brought into this story. Also, in the classic Conan Doyle stories, he and Moriarty have their confrontation at Reichenbach Falls and both go over with Holmes presumably dead. Conan Doyle meant that to be the end of his writing Holmes stories, but demand dictated that he bring Holmes back to life for a few more stories.
The Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland is a real place. Of course it doesn't look like in this movie, but it's still a very nice place to visit. Just go to the town of Meiringen in Kanton Bern. The Falls are right next to it. There are some nice Sherlock-dedicated things to see there, etc... ;-)
I would love to see you both start in on the Sherlock series (with Benedict Cumberbatch). It would be an interesting compare / contrast on the Holmes and Watson dynamic and how all 4 actors play those characters. Plus, Sherlock is just a terrific series. Really fun.
P.S. I share your love for the film soundtrack. I ended up buying it to listen to (especially when working) because it's so good! And I like listening to instrumental stuff when working so lyrics don't distract me. I think music helps me stay focused on my tasks.
In the books Sherlock did die in tge fight with moriarty BUT readers wanted him back so much Sir Cannon Doyle retconned his death and wrote several more stories
Holy crap is the sniper guy also Arthur Shelby?
And holy crap Moriarty is Anderson Dawes from The Expanse
Oh yeah
Better watch this before it vanishes, people
Thanks for the reaction. Great, as always!
This is my favorite of the two Downey Holmes movies
Holmes vs. Moriaty is so well done. I enjoyed your reaction. Thanks for sharing.
Movie recommendation: Dances With Wolves
You should definitely check out Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch. A beautiful modernization of Holmes that still encapsulates all that make him a great character.
People also ask
Is there a Sherlock Holmes 3 coming out?
As of December 2022, Sherlock Holmes 3 has no confirmed release date, but we know that the film is in development. The third Sherlock Holmes movie was announced soon after the release of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, more than a decade ago, all the way back in 2011
having not sen the movie, i just watched the 1st scene in strasbourg as i know plenty of people that were extras in it! (yes, the cathedral is astonishing)
I agree about the forest scene. On the one hand an artillery barrage is a little over the top for this kind of movie but on the other-- damned if it wasn't cool. Also the submachine gun thing is kind of based on reality. I mean as soon as the brass cased cartridge was made affordably available to the public people were working on getting as much use out of it as possible. There were extant plans and patents for autoloader pistols, rifles, and carbines going back to the beginning of the 19th century, they just needed a reliable round to push them. The last real stumbling block was a cheap and reliable clean burning propellant-- as black powder will gum up even the most robust action within a few rounds-- which by the mid-1880s was already being adopted for military use.
I would LOVE for y'all to react to the show, it's one of my altime faves. I really like the movies but the show is even better imo.
I could teach a whole writing class just on the subtext in Holmes and Moriarty's conversation in Moriarty's classroom. They never directly say what they mean, they just dance around it. "more recent endeavors" "I will send my regards to the happy couple." It's just excellent dialogue writing.
I have been waiting for this.😀😀😀
Thank You, they did promise us a third one but now not do sure.
Thats Arthur Shelby! I rarely ever see Peaky Blinders actors in other stuff. Ive watched these movies so many times too.
Haven't even started the video and I know I'm gonna love it
You gotta watch Guy Richie's King Arthur next Tuesday!
You are the only reactors that i saw reacting to this movie!. For me it was awesome!. I really hope they do a third movie sometime.