For Sherlock Holmes there's a new Poster in Town...A Critique.

There aren't too many things I don't love about this latest Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Poster.  But if there is one thing it's that Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes is looking us square in the eye.  Never take you eyes off the mark Holmes it could lead to a nasty (Reichenbach) fall.  I'm not sure why the posters creators decided to break down the fourth wall concerning Holmes but perhaps they thought it clever to have Downey connect with us so expressly.

You'll note that Watson still has his eye on his prey.  Although it can't be that of Professor Moriarty.  The shadow cast across the center of this image is definitely that of Moriarty.  That is given away by thew top hat and the walking stick.  But the shadow stretches from the left to the right so Dr. Watson must be looking at something else.  A handsome cab making it's getaway perhaps?  (Did they have handsome cabs in Paris as opposed to London?)  Overall this is still a superior image.  The cobblestone streets of Paris (Eiffel tower in background) are cast in an eerie blue to bring a certain menace to the scene.  Moriarty's shadow points us to a clue on the far wall where the handbill announces that a steel magnate has disappeared.  There are darkened doorways in the background that suggest at the very least a dead end or two or at worst points of no return.  The Eiffel tower that looms as a backdrop also suggests that the danger that faces Watson and Holmes may be even greater that they imagine.  The back lit fog adds a surreal affect especially when combined with the blue.  But if you look to the lower left you'll see a curvature to the cobblestones near Holmes' feet that give the whole spectacle a "fish eye lens" perspective.  This funnels our attention to our protagonists and gives a claustrophobic feel to everything therefore magnifying the peril.

Overall I give this latest promotional poster high marks.  Some of the trailers have been a bit over wrought with action and a bit cartoonish but that is Guy Ritchie's style and these artifices didn't detract from the last movie.