King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Son of Royalty snatches the sword in this ritchly visual re-re-retelling of the classic tale. Sharp editing and pointed dialog compensate for kitschy character development and plot contrivances, while the dark magic of the vfx wizards keeps the kingdom enthralled until a lackluster ending brutally breaks plot rules and Law.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Film-makers re-prove how much smarter they are than you by solving the problem before determining what it is. Downey’s Holmes inverts Laurie’s House while strongest performance is laid down by law. McAdams subtraction filled by misplaced Rapace. Best aspects are elementary: stunningly slow effects, and a bit of Ritchie wit.

Sherlock Holmes

RDJ and Jude Law discover that an evil genius has turned London into a Dan Brown novel. Peppered with clue-leaves and the tails of clue-rats, completely indecipherable hints designed to make the viewer feel not clever enough. Pseudo-intellectual film made entertaining by good actors and occasional sequences of 300 slo-mo.