Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Blu-ray/DVD/UV Digital Copy (2011)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Jared Harris, Eddie Marsan, Stephen Fry
Director: Guy Ritchie
Studio: Warner Home Video [6/12/12]
Video: 2.40:1 anamorphic/enhanced 1080p HD color
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French, Spanish, Portuguese and Thai Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Cantonese, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin, Thai
Extras: Maximum Movie Mode (hosted by Robert Downey Jr. – incl. picture-in-picture, storyboards, stills galleries and featurettes); “Focus Points” seven production featurettes; “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” movie app; standard DVD copy; Ultraviolet digital copy
Length: 129 minutes
Movie Rating: **** Video Rating: ****1/2
Audio Rating: ***** D-BOX Motion Rating: ****1/2
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is the sequel to the hit 2009 movie. This time around, we find Dr. Watson about to marry his fiancée Mary Morstan and also end his partnership with Holmes. Holmes, meanwhile, now occupies his time investigating the activities of his greatest foe, Professor James Moriarty. Moriarty has grown tired of the cat and mouse games and requests to meet Holmes face-to-face. Moriarty tells Holmes that Dr. Watson and his new bride are fair collateral targets in their on-going battle. Subsequently, Holmes prevents an attack on The Watsons’ lives and then enlists Dr. Watson’s aid once more to stop Moriarty’s grand scheme of causing a world war. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is more action-packed than the first film. While there may not be as much time spent on the power of deduction in this installment, the other elements that made the budding franchise so successful (humor, clever dialogue, silly disguises and nice on-screen chemistry among the actors) are all still present. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a fun, action-packed romp worthy of repeat-viewings. Highly recommended!
The overall high definition video quality of this Blu-ray disc is excellent, especially given that this is a very dark picture. Images are crisp and finely-detailed. Black levels are inky-black throughout the film. Colors are stylized with a heavy emphasis on grays and blacks. Picture defect mastering is solidly-done with no major flaws or compression artifacts. The overall audio quality is also excellent. The soundtrack actively incorporates all of the discrete channels into its mix. Dialogue is natural sounding and remains intelligible amidst all of the on-screen action. The surround channels are aggressively utilized for the sound effects and Hans Zimmer’s music score, plus include several split rear effects and side-to-side pans. The low frequency effects channel is thunderous and actively engaged throughout the movie.
The film is compatible with the “D-BOX” Motion Code™ System, meaning that if you have the necessary D-BOX equipment, your movie viewing experience will be enhanced by adding both motion and vibration to your chosen seating. Motion effects and vibration are present throughout the entire movie. Up-and-down and side-to-side movements, plus significant vibration, are used to simulate travel aboard a motorized carriage and a train, several types of gunfire, hand-to-hand combat and multiple explosions. Overall, this is a great D-BOX title.
—Calvin Harding Jr.
Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia – Cappella Romana/ Alexander Lingas – Cappella Romana
If any recording is essential to the genre, this is it.