‘Sherlock Holmes’ delivers plenty of action, twists

With Christmas just around the corner, it's time to start contemplating what to do over the break.  If you're anything like me, you'll probably head to the theater at least twice, and with good reason since the holiday season is packed with fantastic movies.  One of the films I'm most excited about is the second installment of the latest Sherlock Holmes franchise, "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows."

There have been many versions of Sherlock Holmes, most of which were bookish and dull once you put them on screen.

When Guy Ritchie announced that he would be directing a Sherlock Holmes film, an action mystery movie starring Robert Downey Jr., many fans of the original story, penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, were outraged, thinking that he was tarnishing Holmes' good name.

Luckily, Ritchie is a smart man and decided to meld the intellectual, crime solving Holmes with some of his more subtly mentioned traits, like Holmes' fighting skills, and produced a man who audiences fell in love with.  It also helped just a little that Downey Jr. played the man in question.  

I watched the first film in the theater with one of my best friends, and we both adored it. There was plenty of action to suit the needs of restless audiences, but it was also filled to the brim with clues and discussion of the crimes. The cast was phenomenal, and we left the theater desperately wanting more.  

Our wish has now been granted, and this film looks to be even better than the last. For one, it has more action and great humor in it than the last film did. This movie also features Holmes' greatest foe, Professor James Moriarty.  

Moriarty was originally created so that Doyle could kill off his great hero.  This leads me to believe that there will be some terrible things in store for our charming protagonist.

If you're a bit hesitant to watch this new movie because you didn't see the previous one, don't worry.  This was made so that it could be watched as a standalone film.

For those of us who have seen the first one, though, it'll just be a great continuation of some fantastic characters.  

I think this is a great film to see this winter with your family.  I love going to the movies with my family because it's just a great enjoyable experience.  Almost everyone loves a good movie, and "Sherlock Holmes" has something to please everyone.  It's got action, mystery, intelligence and even a bit of romance for both Holmes and Watson.  

If, however, you decide to stay in this Christmas, I would at least encourage you to rent the first Sherlock Holmes movie, fix some popcorn and have a cozy day inside. 

You really can't go wrong with Downey Jr., and the script is fantastic.