Pass the popcorn, Sherlock's back!

MANILA, Philippines - The first Sherlock Holmes in 2009 was a lavish experience. The costumes, the sets, the effects and the peerless Robert Downey Jr. all made for a proper, engaging ride unmistakably Hollywood and undeniably fun. We tipped our hat to director Guy Ritchie. That’s for sure.

Even as that film ended most dramatically  a la Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for you gamers out there  there were still lots of loose ends. As with bad guy Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) we were left, um, hanging. For starters, who was the shadowy figure Moriarty (Jared Harris) with a fetish for our hero and a talent for making the token love interest Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) dance on the palm of his hand?

So as we delighted in the dramatic, inevitable conclusion to the first adventure, there was a big elephant in the room. Who the heck was this faceless nemesis with the obvious Holmes fetish?

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is not a nosebleed waiting to happen as you try to keep up, but it marks significant, a step up from its predecessor. Moriarty is not an embodiment of pure evil (the guy, after all, is a professor) but more of genius gone bad and hopelessly bonkers. Someone left the professor out too long, and his brain cells soured.

But as the antagonist, he matches up perfectly with our dear Sherly  as his burly, exhibitionist brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) calls him. After all, you don’t expect genius to be, well, normal. And in this chess game of high intellect, expect some odd strategies and seemingly hare-brained moves.

Caught in the middle of this titanic conflict is, of course, the hapless Watson (played to perfection by Jude Law). The subtext is a lingering bromance with Holmes that simmers on despite his impending wedding to Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly).

Like a jilted partner, Holmes nonetheless tries his best to “woo” Watson into conspiring for one last adventure (he should only be so lucky).

So as it turns out, Mary Morstan’s biggest rival for her new husband’s attention is not another woman, but one manic investigator.

And, appropriately, in one brilliant train sequence, we find Sherlock Holmes in drag to rescue (and foil the honeymoon) of Mr. and Mrs. Watson. Apparently, it was Downey’s idea to don the costume and makeup. Bravo!

While trying to thwart Professor Moriarty’s designs, Holmes manages to dodge bullets, McGyver his way out of trouble, and slow-mo fight everyone who dares to pit wits with him.

When two great forces collide, it makes for a great tale. But the true depth of the story lies in divining for the underlying anecdotes and events in the lesser mortals that surround our protagonists  collateral damage, as it were.

No matter how you look at it, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows is an engaging, fun-filled ride very well worth Robert Downey’s take-home pay and the cash you forked over to the bored girl at the box office.