8. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Those who enjoyed Guy Ritchies initial tongue-in-cheek take of the great detective were left somewhat bemused by this brash and overly trite second outing. The plot was self-important, the action was over stylised, and Holmes himself felt distant from the charming rogue who took down Lord Blackwood in 2008. Time, however, has been kind to Game of Shadows, and sloppy seconds actually proves to be the refiners fire to this particular film. Holmes is, in fact, better than ever in this version. It is merely masked behind the second album syndrome of Downey Jr trying to improve on what he achieved previously. The wry remarks, the peppy humour: hidden beneath a pressing need to demonstrate the characters growing agony and self-destructive tendencies. Further points of note include the genuinely brilliant turn of Jared Harris as Moriarty, which on first light was a tad too subtle to be noticed, and the joyous relief of moments such as the pony ride. Initially it felt ridiculous and unnecessary, but now it shines through as great humour nestled amongst grandiose storytelling. The ending does still feel a tad OTT. But hey, you cant win them all.