“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” starring Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes, hooks its audience from the get-go.  Entertaining and mysterious, this film is enjoyable for viewers of all ages.

Holmes, a detective in 1891, uses his unique powers of observation to go head to head with Professor James Moriarty, played by Jared Harris. Moriarty is a powerful criminal mind in Europe and stopping his forces could prevent the collapse of Western civilization.  But as Holmes said, “No pressure.”

Accompanied by Jude Law as Dr. John Watson and Noomi Rapace as Madam Simza Heron, Holmes takes on one of the most important cases in his career.

The film opens with a series of bombings and shootings which are bound to turn into much more, and it’s up to Holmes and his crew to put together the pieces of Moriarty’s dangerous game.

Now, with urban camouflage which allows him to blend in with modern day objects such as chairs and house plants, Holmes has the ability to further disguise himself and appear non-existent to the majority of the population.

One extremely entertaining factor of this film is attempting to predict and use prior information to crack the code in various situations, possibly even before Holmes does so.

The acting in this movie is convincing and keeps movie watchers constantly on their toes.  With one unexpected event leading to the next, “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” consists of suspense like no other.