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[[File:SherlockHolmesTeaserPoster265.jpg|frame| [[A Worldwide Punomenon|Holmes for the Holidays.]]]]
A 2009 film directed by [[Guy Ritchie]], and starring [[Robert Downey, Jr.]], Jude Law, [[Rachel McAdams]], and [[Mark Strong]], that updates (or maybe restores) Holmes and Watson as [[Badass Bookworm|thinking men of action]]. A sequel, ''A Game of Shadows'', was released in December
▲A 2009 film directed by [[Guy Ritchie]], and starring [[Robert Downey Jr]], Jude Law, [[Rachel McAdams]], and [[Mark Strong]], that updates (or maybe restores) Holmes and Watson as [[Badass Bookworm|thinking men of action]]. A sequel, ''A Game of Shadows'', was released in December of 2011.
When Holmes (Downey) and Watson (Law) interrupt a dark occult ritual and save a woman from being sacrificed, they find that the culprit is Lord Henry Blackwood (Strong). He's already killed five women in a similar manner and, before he is hanged, he claims to Holmes that he will kill three more times after his death.
Soon, Blackwood's tomb is found destroyed and his body is missing, sparking rumors that he has [[Back
A sequel in 2011 subtitled ''A Game of Shadows'' introduces Professor James Moriarty, a mathematician, former boxer and criminal mastermind behind a web of mysterious deaths and terrorist attacks across Europe. Holmes sets out to find out what he's up to but discovers Moriarty's mind is a match for his own, and a battle of wits across the continent begins as the two try to outsmart each other.
----
{{tropelist}}
== Both films ==
* [[Action Girl]]:
** Irene Adler.
** Sim.
** Technically Mary as well, if only for brief moment of awesome.
{{quote|
* [[Actor Allusion]]:
** [[Iron Man (
** [[A Scanner Darkly|Holmes' home-made silencer seems to just make it louder]].
** [[Kiss Kiss Bang Bang|Holmes gets two separate cases that turn out to be connected]].
** [[Tropic Thunder|Holmes had a history of posing as Asians.]]
** This is not the first time [[Stephen Fry]] has played Mycroft Holmes.
* [[Adrenaline Time]]: An interesting version, as Holmes imagines at least some fights before starting, pointing out the weaknesses he'll exploit, and then we get to see the fight again in real time. This is applied interestingly later in the film; in every fight where Holmes gets his ass kicked, the [[Adrenaline Time]] sequence is absent, implying he lost because he forgot to
▲* [[Adrenaline Time]]: An interesting version, as Holmes imagines at least some fights before starting, pointing out the weaknesses he'll exploit, and then we get to see the fight again in real time. This is applied interestingly later in the film; in every fight where Holmes gets his ass kicked, the [[Adrenaline Time]] sequence is absent, implying he lost because he forgot to think -- or didn't have time to; formulating a rational plan is one thing when you're lurking around a corner hiding from a drunkard lookout, but more problematic when a giant Frenchman is bearing down on your arse. Essentially, it's his eponymous [[Sherlock Scan]], weaponized.
** Guy Ritchie even calls it "Holmes-O-Vision." The whole second movie subverts his use of his Holmes-O-Vision. In the original, his senses are always on cue but in the second, they're always disrupted by something (the first time he runs through a scenario, Sim simply throws a knife around his third or fourth planned move and the second time {{spoiler|Holmes' attempt to dissect Moriarty's offense results in Moriarty mentally stalemating him at every turn, finally resulting in a theoretical loss for Holmes}}).
* [[Ambiguous Disorder]]: Jr.'s portrayal is more socially challenged than our usual Holmes, had some weird eye contact moments, and was implied to have issues with sensory integration.
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** In the second film he mentions that seeing "everything" is his curse, as a scene similar to that at the Royale is repeated at the {{spoiler|peace conference.}}
* [[Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny]]: The scene in the restaurant, Holmes' forgetfulness (even though that's [[Left Your Lifesaver Behind|often a ploy to get Watson to follow after him]]), and the way he seems more hyper than other incarnations, though not all. Downey's Holmes is just as frenetic as the Jeremy Brett incarnation, who would often crawl across the floor or fling papers in the air.
* [[Awesomeness By Analysis]]:
** Whenever he has the time Holmes will use his famous intellect to analyze his opponents, predict their actions, and plan out, move for move, the ensuing fight. In ''Game of Shadows'', {{spoiler|Holmes and Moriarty play out part of a chess match and then an entire fistfight in their minds. They both realize Holmes will inevitably lose the latter because of an injury, which is why he decides to [[Taking You
** Partway through ''A Game of Shadows'', expectations are subverted when Holmes plans out an elaborate fight with a Cossack assassin, and begins the fight in real-time, {{spoiler|only for the gypsy woman to throw a knife at the Cossack}}.
* [[Badass Bookworm]]: This side of Holmes being brought up is a big part of this particular adaptation. Watson looks more this part than [[Genius Bruiser]], too.
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* [[Bunny Ears Lawyer]]: Holmes, as per usual.
* [[Butt Monkey]]: Poor, poor Gladstone.
{{quote|
* [[The Coats Are Off]]: Watson removes his overcoat (keeps his suit jacket on) before every fight.
* [[Combat Medic]]: Watson
* [[Combat Pragmatist]]:
** Watson full stop. Holmes has some of this as well, being a master of calculated combat. When he uses the [[Sherlock Scan]] combo on his targets, it takes into account every reaction that the target would use; and shuts them down accordingly. The pragmatism in it is that it never lets the opponent get a hit in.
** When Holmes is getting his butt kicked by the Chinaman, he doesn't hesitate to call on Irene to just shoot him.
** In ''A Game Of Shadows'', {{spoiler|Watson is racing to Holmes' rescue. Except Moran is up in a lighthouse with a rifle and the light trained down Watson's only avenue of approach, keeping him pinned down. Then Watson realizes he's taken cover behind a [[BFG|naval cannon]].}}
{{quote|
** Shortly after that, {{spoiler|our heroes are racing through the forest with Moriarty's men on their heels, trading gunfire. The bad guys decide turnabout is fair play, and start using "Little Hansel". It's not clear what kind of gun it is, but individual shots are powerful enough to rip apart trees.}}
** Holmes and Moriarty both make liberal use of this trope during their final confrontation in ''A Game of Shadows''; Moriarty by repeatedly attacking {{spoiler|Holmes' wounded shoulder}}, and Holmes by {{spoiler|blowing sparks in Moriarty's face so that he can [[Take a Third Option]]}}.
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* [[Dating Catwoman]]: Holmes and Irene
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Holmes and Watson seem to be taking part in a sarcasm competition.
{{quote|
'''Lestrade:''' We are in the process of bringing it up now.
'''Holmes:''' I see... Hmm... Right. At what stage of the process? Contemplative? }}
** Later,
{{quote|
* [[Disney Villain Death]]: {{spoiler|Lord Blackwood seems set to fall victim to this with a rope and wooden planks dragging him off the bridge, but Holmes saves him. A part of the bridge's steelwork then collapses and Blackwood falls into a noose of chains.}}
** {{spoiler|Played straight with Moriarty in the sequel, as per the original confrontation.}}
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* [[Femme Fatale]]: Irene Adler.
* [[Flynning]]: Averted ''hard''. Holmes actually uses a form very similar to Bartitsu, but with Wing Chun boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jutsu and swordfighting introduced (the choreographer even called it "neo-Bartitsu"). The fighting in the sequel even more closely resembles historical Bartitsu.
* [[Friend Versus Lover]]: Holmes and Mary.
* [[The Gambling Addict]]: Heavily implied for Watson.
** Confirmed in the second movie.
* [[Gentleman Adventurer]]: Holmes and Watson.
* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: Cocaine is never mentioned in the 2009 movie. However, at one point Watson looks at some bottles, picks one up and says disgustedly, "You do know what you're drinking is for eye surgery." Cocaine was used for anaesthetic in eye surgeries in the late 1800s.
** In the second movie Mrs. Hudson says that Holmes has been living on cigarettes and coca leaves. Guess what cocaine is made out of.
* [[Go Seduce My Arch-Nemesis]]: Again, Irene Adler (see [[Femme Fatale]] above). Hired by Professor Moriarty to, among other things, seduce Holmes. A bit of an aversion, as it's implied that Adler and Holmes were already involved in some fashion, and Moriarty just used Adler's pre-existing relationship with Holmes to further his own goals. He also makes it clear at one point that it's more a case of [[Go Seduce My Arch-Nemesis]] Who You're Already Kind Of In Love With, Or I'll Kill Him If You Don't.
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** The sequel later confirms that, as in the original novels, {{spoiler|Holmes' brother Mycroft is "indispensible" to the British government, which would undoubtedly smooth such things over a bit}}.
* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: Holmes and Watson.
* [[Hot Chick in
* [[Hyper Awareness]]: Holmes sees, hears and even smells ''everything'' around him...
** [[Cursed
{{quote|
'''Holmes:''' Everything. Such is my curse. }}
** [[Sensory Overload]]
* [[I Drank What]]: Holmes drinks a bottle of a chemical intended for use in surgery in the first film and is chastised by Watson. A similar exchange occurs in the second when Holmes pours himself a drink from a bottle of ''formaldehyde''.
** Oh, he knows very well what is he doing. See [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]] above.
* [[I Know Karate]]: Holmes' proficiency in martial arts; specifically, the British modification of Japan's Jujitsu known as "baritsu",<ref>In real life named "Bartitsu", but "Baritsu" was what Conan Doyle wrote Holmes having.</ref>
* [[Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy]]: There is an outstanding amount of "no one was hit" in both films, from both the good guys and bad. Which is [[Reality Is Unrealistic|exactly the way it usually is]] [[Truth in Television|in a real firefight]], especially with the era's relatively inaccurate guns. While there are more deaths in the second film, most of them are [[Red Shirts]], and/or are at the hands of Sebastian Moran, the [[Cold Sniper]] [[The Dragon|Dragon]].
* [[Improbable Weapon User]]: See [[Applied Phlebotinum]].
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*** Not just any book: "The Final Problem", the actual short story that ''A Game of Shadows'' is loosely based on.
* [[Living Emotional Crutch]]: Watson to Holmes.
* [[Meta Casting]]: As in his earlier ''[[Iron Man (
* [[Misplaced Names Poster]]: The poster in the page image doesn't qualify, but [[media:Sherlock-Holmes-
* [[The Mockbuster]]: ''Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes'' by [[The Asylum]] (The Asylum specialize in mockbusters), released in 2010 with [[Torchwood
* [[The Muse]]: Watson claims Irene is this for Holmes.
{{quote|
* [[Mythology Gag]]:
** Many to the original [[Sherlock Holmes|canon]], from re-appropriated lines, to Watson limping (and never running), to one or two references to cocaine use.
{{quote|
[from the second film] ...you're drinking ''embalming fluid''?! }}
** Mary quotes Watson as saying that his friendship with Holmes is "worth the wounds". Watson, in his narration of "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs", expresses a similar sentiment in similar words: "It was worth a wound - it was worth many wounds - to see [how much Holmes cares about him]".
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** Irene cuts Holmes off before he can finish mentioning the details of "A Scandal in Bohemia".
** Holmes' boxing matches is a reference to ''Sign of Four'', in which a ''former boxing champion of England'' recognizes Holmes as an amateur who held his own against him a few years back. Additionally, both the boxer in the book and the film are named McMurdo.
** The line "It does make a considerable difference to me having someone with me on whom I can thoroughly rely", which was given prominence in most of the trailers, is lifted wholesale from "The Boscombe Valley Mystery". The line, "There's nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact," is from the same story.
** "Data, data, data! I can't make bricks without clay!" is similarly filched from "The Copper Beeches".
** In a similar vein, "My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work..." is from ''The Sign of Four.''
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** Holmes as a pugilist.
** Holmes' use of disguise to sneak a peek at Irene's employer.
** Conan Doyle described Holmes' fits of melancholy and many have speculated that Holmes was bipolar. Holmes seemed a little unbalanced at the beginning -- "Is it November?"
** "Sherlock Holmes Aides Police" is a shout-out to the several instances in the books where Lestrade gets the credit for a crime Holmes solves.
** Watson's bulldog is canonical but little-known, being mentioned once in the first chapter of the first Sherlock Holmes story, ''A Study in Scarlet'', and then never again (among those fans who remember the dog at all, it's often assumed that Watson sold it or gave it away shortly after moving in with Holmes). The running joke about Holmes testing anaesthetics on the dog is also inspired by a scene in ''A Study in Scarlet'', although that involved a different dog, an aged and infirm terrier that was waiting to be put out of its misery when Holmes appropriated it to test a substance he suspected of being poisonous.
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** The film incorporates Holmes' line about keeping Watson's checkbook locked in his desk and adopts the interpretation drawn from that and other hints that Watson had a weakness for gambling.
** ''A Game of Shadows'' unsurprisingly has quite a few to "The Final Problem." In particular, several lines of dialogue are lifted directly from the story:
{{quote|
'''Holmes:''' You've paid me several compliments. Let me pay you one in return, when I say that if I were assured of the former eventuality - I would cheerfully accept the latter. }}
** And, later on:
{{quote|
** Moriarty's monograph ''Dynamics of an Asteroid'' (from "The Valley of Fear," natch) makes a couple of prominent appearances in ''Game of Shadows''.
** His asking Holmes whether he has actually read the book may be a subtle one as
** The binomial theorem features on Moriarty's blackboard and {{spoiler|as part of the key to the code in his notebook}}. In the books, his treatise on the binomial theorem, written at the age of 21, was the thing that won him his professor's chair.
** There is a train chase in the original story, though it's SIGNIFICANTLY more...''subdued''.
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** Some street urchins are present at Holmes' {{spoiler|funeral}} at the end of the second movie. The Baker Street Irregulars, perhaps?
** Reichenbach Falls.
** From the second film: the fake wax dummy of Holmes and the fact that {{spoiler|Moran is still at large at the end and Holmes has been to his brother's safehouse (where he got the oxygen thingy)}} relate to "The Adventure of the Empty House".
** The description of Holmes near the end of the second film, "He played the game for the game's own sake", is what Holmes says of himself in "The Bruce-Partington Plans" when it's suggested he might get a big reward for solving the mystery.
* [[Never Trust a Trailer]]: Trailers for both films basically consisted of all the comedic moments taken out of context inter-spliced with action scenes, making the movie seem like a ''spoof'' of [[Sherlock Holmes]], starring [[Iron Man (
* [[Noodle Incident]]: Apart from various [[Mythology Gag
* [[Perma
* [[Private Detective]]: But of course.
* [[Promoted to Love Interest]]: Irene Adler... in the tradition of every single Holmes adaptation ''ever''.
* [[Public Domain Character]]: Duh.
* [[Room Full of Crazy]]: Blackwood covers the inside of his cell with mystical runes and imagery. Holmes is less-than-impressed.
{{quote|
** Holmes gets such a room for himself in both films.
* [[Running Gag]]:
** Holmes insulting Lestrade. {{spoiler|After it's revealed Lestrade is part of the conspiracy, he punches Holmes. "I've wanted to do that for years." [[Double Agent|However, since he was actually working with Holmes...]]}}
{{quote|
"Yes, and you an excellent policeman." }}
** Related to this; Holmes will frequently ask to borrow something from Lestrade (such as a pen or a handkerchief), use it to do something rather unpleasant (such as poking at a corpse or messily blowing his nose) and blithely hand it back, much to Lestrade's disgust.
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* [[Shirtless Scene]]
* [[Sliding Scale of Shiny Versus Gritty]]: The depiction of London skews very strongly on the side of gritty.
* [[Snark
* [[Spirited Competitor]]:
** This is implied to be Holmes's general outlook, that he enjoys the chase and the intellectual challenges his work provides, and rejects cases that don't stimulate him."My mind rebels at stagnation, give me problems, give me work."
** Further emphasized in ''A Game of Shadows'', {{spoiler|at Holmes' funeral, where his epitaph reads}}: "He Played The Game For The Game's Own Sake"
* [[Steel Ear Drums]]: Averted in both films. In the first, after the {{spoiler|explosions on the dock}}, everyone's ears are shown to be ringing and Sherlock seems extremely dazed and barely able to stand, indicating possible damage to his inner ear. In the second, Watson takes care to put on ear mufflers before {{spoiler|firing the cannon}}. Later on, it's shown in a first-person slo-mo shot that everyone is having trouble hearing, even their own yells, as they run through the forest trying to dodge the cannons and gunfire.
* [[The Summation]]
* [[Super
* [[Super Senses]]: Holmes's observations often seem like this.
* [[Sword Cane]]: Watson's.
▲* [[Trigger Happy]]:
** Irene Adler's idea of an entrance is to start shooting and knocking people out.
** Holmes could also be considered this too. Early in the film he was trying to construct a silencer and later in the film he empties his whole gun just moments after telling Watson to "save your bullets". Watson calls him on it.
* [[Two Guys and
* [[Victorian London]]
* [[Video Credits]]
* [[The Watson]]: A nice subversion occurs: Holmes asks Watson about a watch and Watson explains it, using his own deductive skills. Then it's revealed Holmes already knew everything Watson said.
* [[What Happened to
**
* [[Will They or Won't They?]]: Irene and Holmes to an extent.
* [[Xanatos Speed Chess]]: Holmes is a master, pitted against Blackwood's [[Magnificent Bastard]] and Moriarty's [[Chessmaster]].
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== Sherlock Holmes ==
* [[Action Prologue]] / [[In Medias Res]]: The movie starts with Holmes, Watson, and the Yard capturing Lord Blackwood after he murders five girls, and thwarts his murdering a sixth.
* [[Affably Evil]]:
{{quote|
'''Dredger''': "(in French) I'm in no hurry." (and while he advances after saying so, he ''did'' let Holmes climb to his feet and speak) }}
** Blackwood is also quite polite, not to mention charismatic. {{spoiler|Which is of course part of his scheme, that he's a showman who makes his scientific feats look like magical conjurations}}.
* [[And the Adventure Continues...]]: Holmes, Watson and Mary are relaxing after the case is over when P.C Clark comes by with a summons from Lestrade: a police officer has been murdered and a vital element of Blackwood's device stolen, and Holmes recognizes the M.O as belonging to [[Sequel Hook|a certain professor]] who's recently been brought to his attention.
{{quote|
* [[The Antichrist]]: Blackwood deliberately invokes all the tropes associated with the [[The Antichrist]]
* [[The Apple Falls Far]]: Irene tries to cross a bridge at the climax only to find just in time that it hasn't been completed yet. A length of chain falls off the gap in her stead.
* [[Applied Phlebotinum]]: Holmes briefly uses a powerful electrode as a weapon which apparently needs to be charged with a hand-cranked generator.
{{quote|
'''Holmes:''' ''Je ne sais pas!'' [subtitle: "I don't know!"] }}
** To be more precise, this shocking device is perfectly possible (a powerful capacitor with two terminals). It is small size, and capability of delivering multiple shocks without reloading that makes it [[Applied Phlebotinum]].
* [[Almost Kiss]]: Sherlock leans forwards as if to kiss Irene at the end, then removes her stolen necklace instead.
* [[Aristocrats Are Evil]]: Lord Blackwood.
* [[Art Major Biology]]: If someone is hanged there are physical
** Also the scene where Holmes blocks the chimney while talking with Lord Coward, slowly filling the room with smoke to escape. Both he and Coward keep speaking casually, even though with that much smoke around both should have been coughing their lungs out. Not to mention that Coward would have smelled the smoke sooner than he saw it.
* [[As Long
* [[Ascended Extra]]: Irene Adler only appeared in one of the original Doyle stories ("A Scandal in Bohemia", where she was the antagonist), and Holmes only briefly encounters her in it. Here, she's upgraded to a major supporting character with hints of a romantic interest in Holmes.
* [[Batman Cold Open]]: The opening action sequence.
* [[Bastard Bastard]]: Blackwood was conceived out of wedlock during a magic ritual.
* [[Batman Gambit]]: Blackwood's attempt to {{spoiler|scare everybody into thinking he had great magical powers and thus he would rule England / the world.}} Of course, they may all be a part of the [[Evil Plan]] of {{spoiler|Professor Moriarty}} by exploiting the confusion caused by Blackwood's plan.
* [[Berserk Button]]: {{spoiler|Blackwood needs Standish to try and shoot him so he'll become a self-inflicted victim of [[Kill It
** Never, ever, spit on Holmes.
* [[Bifauxnen]]: Irene Adler dresses in men's clothing in some scenes, probably referencing how she managed to get past Holmes in "A Scandal in Bohemia", where she says that she dresses as a man to enjoy the liberties to which she was otherwise not entitled in Victorian England. She even calls her men's clothing ''her walking clothes''. (Though she doesn't bother to hide her figure or remove her make-up at all - she'd never be taken for a man.)
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* [[Blade Below the Shoulder]]: Blackwood, in the opening scene, attempts to stab Watson with one made of glass.
* [[Blindfolded Trip]]:
{{quote|
'''Sherlock Holmes:''' As to where I am, I was, admittedly, lost for a moment, between Charing Cross and Holborn, but I was saved by the bread shop on Saffron Hill. The only baker to use a certain French glaze on their loaves - a Brittany sage. After that, the carriage forked left, then right, and then the tell-tale bump at the Fleet Conduit. And as to who you are, that took every ounce of my not-inconsiderable experience. The letters on your desk were addressed to a Sir Thomas Rotherham. Lord Chief Justice, that would be the official title. Who you ''really'' are is, of course, another matter entirely. Judging by the sacred ox on your ring, you're the secret head of the Temple of the Four Orders in whose headquarters we now sit, located on the northwest corner of St. James Square, I think. As to the mystery, the only mystery is why you bothered to blindfold me at all.
''Beat''
'''Sir Thomas:'''Yes well...Standard procedure. }}
* [[Board to Death]]: {{spoiler|What Blackwood intended to do to Parliament}}
* [[Doomsayer]]: Crowds of of these are seen being broken up by mounted police outside the Houses of Parliament, indicating the "Panic, sheer bloody panic!" inspired by the villainous Lord Blackwood's return from the dead. One man really goes to town describing the terrible events to come.
{{quote|
* [[Brick Joke]]: In the beginning, after Blackwood has supposedly come [[Back
** Also, during the [[Action Prologue]], Watson gets the drop on a [[Mook]] about to strike Holmes and covers his nose to render him unconscious. After a moment or so, Holmes remarks that Watson is a doctor after all. Near the end, Watson {{spoiler|has Dredger in a choke-hold and says "Relax...I'm a doctor" before Dredger finally loses consciousness}}.
* [[Bulletproof Human Shield]]: Happens during the first fight scene, when Sherlock spots a mook coming towards him with a revolver and uses some fancy martial arts technique to maneuver the mook he is currently fighting into taking the bullet for him.
* [[Cane Fu]]: Holmes, Watson and Blackwood are all proficient.
* [[Captain Obvious]]: Blackwood's coffin is opened to reveal the midget's corpse.
{{quote|
''Holmes closes his eyes in exasperation'': "Well, now we have a firm grasp of the obvious." }}
* [[Car Cushion]]: The 19th century version. A burning Standish falls out of a window on top of a horse-drawn carriage.
* [[Chained to
* [[Chekhov's Gun]]:
** The mentions of the bridge that's being built at the beginning.
** Also Lord Coward's shoes.
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* [[Dark Messiah]]: Lord Blackwood would very much like to be thought of as one of these, and goes a long way towards convincing the entire country he is. {{spoiler|But then, in the end, he actually isn't...probably.}}
* [[Dark Is Evil|Dark is]]/[[Dark Is Not Evil|Not Evil]]: Everything connected with Blackwood is always associated with pure darkness. Also, Blackwood is always seen wearing a wicked-looking black leather trenchcoat while his minions wear dark cloaks. However Holmes himself is [[Tall, Dark and Snarky]], and also dresses in gloomy black, complete with [[Sinister Shades]].
* [[Death Trap]]: Several... [[Conveyor Belt O' Doom|one for Irene]], one for {{spoiler|[[Gas Chamber|Parliament,]]}} one for [[Kill It
* [[Doing
* [[Diabolical Mastermind]]: Blackwood {{spoiler|and later revealed Moriarty.}}
* [[Disproportionate Retribution]]: In the pit-fighting scene, Holmes gave up and walked away...at which point his opponent spat at the back of his head. The following [[No-Holds-Barred Beatdown]] / [[Curb Stomp Battle]] was performed ''solely so that the opponent couldn't spit at him again''. The fact that Holmes had spied Irene in the audience a few moments before probably had a lot to do with that. He couldn't exactly look bad in front of her. [[A Scandal In Bohemia|Again]].
* [[Esoteric Motifs]]: The four murders planned by Blackwood correspond to the four classical elements:
** Earth:{{spoiler|Reordan is buried in Blackwood's dirt-filled coffin after being killed.}}
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** Fire:{{spoiler|Standish is burned to death when his pistol backfires.}}
** Air:{{spoiler|Everyone in Parliament is nearly killed by poison gas. Instead, Blackwood ends up hanging himself.}}
** [[Viewers Are Geniuses|This is never mentioned, at all.]] Presumably they wanted to be careful around [[Angels
** Additionally, {{spoiler|the elements are paired with their opposites for each murder.}}
*** Earth:{{spoiler|Reordan is buried in the earth and dies from a lack of air.}}
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* [[Fandom Nod]]: In the extended preview (aired during the ''[[Monk]]'' series finale), there's yet another clip of the Holmes-Watson [[Vitriolic Best Buds]] routine, then a cut to Adler going "They've been flirting like this for ''hours''." To the general public, a funny joke. To those aware of the Holmes/Watson-shipping fanbase, ''bloody hilarious''. As it happened, {{spoiler|this seems to have been a deleted scene referring to Watson's bickering with a boat captain.}}
* [[Five-Bad Band]]: Split into two competing groups but otherwise fitting their roles.
** [[Big Bad]]
** [[The Dragon]]-- {{spoiler|Lord Coward}}.
** [[Evil Genius]]
** [[The Brute]]
** [[Dark Chick]]-- {{spoiler|Irene Adler. Working for Moriarty against Blackwood's group.}}
* [[Food Slap]]: When Sherlock implies that Mary is only in a relationship with Watson for his money, she pours a drink on him.
* [[Futile Hand Reach]]: Watson does one of these towards Holmes right before {{spoiler|the pier blows up.}}
* [[Gallows Humor]]: A very literal example at the end, when {{spoiler|Holmes hangs himself as a forensic experiment, but never stops [[Deadpan Snarker|wisecracking]].}}
* [[Giant Mook]]: "Dredger," Blackwood's giant French enforcer.
* [[Genre Savvy]]: Watson at the very end, who enters his lodgings to find that Holmes has apparently {{spoiler|hanged himself}}. While his fiancee Mary is shocked, Watson just rolls his eyes and snarks a little. By this time, he (and the viewers) knows enough to recognize this as yet another Sherlock Holmes experiment.
* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: See [[Orphaned Punchline]] and [[Holding the Floor]] below and keep in mind that Holmes tells this joke in jail.
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* [[Hollywood Silencer]]: Holmes is trying to build one early in the film, much to the annoyance of Watson and Mrs. Hudson. Somewhat subverted, since the silencer does not work. At all.
* [[Homage Shot]]: The [[Establishing Shot]] of Baker Street is very clearly modeled after the opening credits of the [[The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes|Granada TV series]] starring [[Jeremy Brett]].
* [[Hotter and Sexier]]: [[Robert Downey, Jr.]]. and especially [[Jude Law]], who cuts a very different profile from the typical image of Watson. Of course, when you think about it, he couldn't have been drawing in women on moustache alone.
* [[Hypocritical Humor]]: "What was that about saving your bullets?"
* [[Inherently Funny Words]]: Ginger Midget. Repeat as necessary.
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* [[Jack the Ripper]]: It is subtly hinted that Blackwood may have been somehow involved ("Those five girls were not the first to be butchered... no one could prove anything, but we all knew.").
* [[Karmic Death]]: {{spoiler|Lord Blackwood's entire scheme hinges on him cheating the gallows and escaping a well-deserved hanging. Guess what happens to him at the end...}}
* [[Kill It
* [[Lame Comeback]]:
{{quote|
'''Holmes''': ''You'' wear a jacket. }}
* [[Left the Background Music On]]: A minor example where Holmes is shown following Irene Adler and the music played during this scene is revealed to be him playing his violin.
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* [[My Death Is Just the Beginning]]: [[Invoked Trope|Invoked]] by Lord Blackwood before his execution. {{spoiler|His death was faked, of course. His real death actually is the beginning, shortly after he dies we get a [[Sequel Hook]] featuring Holmes true nemesis Moriarty.}}
* [[Mysterious Employer]]: {{spoiler|Moriarty, but of course}}.
* [[Naked People Are Funny]]: When Holmes is [[Chained to
{{quote|
* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: If your title is Lord Blackwood, it's almost a requirement that you'll be involved in the dark arts. {{spoiler|Also, Lord Coward. To the general public, a funny, jovial guy. And neither does Standish's name sound very antagonistic, in comparison to Coward's}}.
* [[Newspaper-Thin Disguise]]: Pulled by {{spoiler|Moriarty}} in the train car.
* [[Nothing Up My Sleeve]]: {{spoiler|Professor Moriarty's signature weapon is a hidden gun in his sleeve.}}
* [[Oh Crap]]: The look on Holmes and Watson's faces when Dredger walks into the midget's lodgings.
{{quote|
'''Watson''': My 10 minutes are up. ''(cue awesome fight scene)'' }}
* [[Oh, No, Not Again]]: "He's killed the dog...again!"
* [[Outrun the Fireball]]: {{spoiler|Averted. So very averted. As Team Holmes leaves a slaughterhouse, Watson pulls ahead and accidentally hits a tripwire. He realizes what's going on and tries to warn Holmes, so Holmes gets to watch his best friend get blown up. Then Adler. He then grabs a tray to use as a shield, and heads back to Irene while his shield is destroyed by the explosion. He picks her up, and they ''try'' to outrun the blast and save Watson, but get about two steps before they're both caught in it.}} All in glorious bullet time. And followed up by [[Shell-Shock Silence]].
* [[Orphaned Punchline]]: "...to which the barman says, 'May I push in your stool?'"
* [[Posthumous Character]]: The Ginger Midget is dead before we even get to meet him, but the things he does in his experiments for Blackwood lie at the core of the film.
* [[Punch-Punch-Punch Uh-Oh]]: Holmes vs. Dredger. It somehow manages to be [[Zig
* [[Ravens and Crows]]
* [[Reality Is Unrealistic]]: Tower Bridge is designed so well to blend in with much older nearby buildings (like the Tower of London) that some viewers were shocked to see its half-completed steel skeleton form the setting for the final confrontation with Blackwood.
* [[Reasonable Authority Figure]]: Both Clarkie and Lestrade continue to trust Holmes after a warrant is issued for his arrest; Clarkie makes sure he escapes the police at the slaughterhouse, and Lestrade slips him the key to his handcuffs.
* [[Red Herring]]: {{spoiler|You know that sinister looking black bird? The one that manages to show up whenever Lord Blackwood kills someone by seemingly supernatural means? It's a perfectly ordinary raven, similar to those commonly found all over the UK.}}
* [[Romanticism Versus Enlightenment]]: Undertones in the main hero and main villain. Sherlock is very much Enlightened; believing in rationality and science, expressing awe and appreciation in the power of industry and believing in justice. Blackwood is very Romantic, having strokes of [[Ubermensch]]-ness, belief that [[Democracy Is Bad]], and being very steeped in the occult. Seeing that the hero of the story is Sherlock, the movie seems to come off as pro-Enlightenment.
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* [[Sequel Hook]]: Irene's employer? None other than {{spoiler|Professor Moriarty}}. {{spoiler|Subverted slightly in that Moriarty's reason for being involved is not brought up in the sequel}}.
* [[Slipping a Mickey]]: When Holmes goes to see Irene, she offers him a glass of wine from an unopened bottle. {{spoiler|Then, after Holmes drinks it and collapses, we get to see a short flashback-- of her doctoring the bottle with a syringe, and resealing it.}}
* [[Smug Snake]]: {{spoiler|Lord Coward}}, who is admittedly working with genuine [[Magnificent Bastard]] Blackwood. Even taking this into account, however, he seems to spend most of the movie doing little more than standing around looking rather smug; he does attempt to avert [[Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him]], but fails miserably.
* [[Snipe Hunt]]: Variation, in that Holmes sends the police to go find something that actually is there, but still used to get them out of the way so he can do his thing. {{spoiler|And steal evidence.}}
* [[Spontaneous Human Combustion]]: Ambassador Standish bursts into flames when he attempts to shoot Lord Blackwood. {{spoiler|This is intended to be taken as a magical occurrence, displaying the dark powers Blackwood has protecting him from those who oppose him, but in the end a clear, external cause is revealed by Holmes that has nothing at all to do with magic.}}
* [[A Storm Is Coming]]
* [[Stunned Silence]]: Holmes' [[No-Holds-Barred Beatdown]] of the boxer who [[Disproportionate Retribution|made the mistake of spitting at the back of his head]] reduces the crowd of spectators from howling for blood into stunned, meek silence within
* [[Tempting Fate]]: Blackwood's {{spoiler|"It's a long journey from here to the rope." at the end of the movie.}}
* [[That Came Out Wrong]]: Holmes of course, gets the best one. Of course, [[It Makes Sense in Context]].
{{quote|
* [[Trust Me, I'm an X]]:
{{quote|
▲{{quote| '''Holmes:''' Madam, I need you to remain calm. And trust me, I'm a professional. Beneath this pillow, lies the key to my release.}}
** When Watson is choking Dredger, he reassuringly tells him, "Relax, I'm a doctor."
* [[Unspoken Plan Guarantee]]: Averted in the boxing match to show Holmes' [[Awesomeness By Analysis]]: Holmes meticulously plans his beatdown of his opponent step-by-step, and it goes exactly as he planned it. Then again it was all in internal monologue so never actually spoken.
* [[Unwitting Pawn]]:
** As we learn at the end, {{spoiler|Lord Blackwood himself.}}
** Holmes himself, as while he ultimately solves the plot through sheer genius and tenacity, the first two thirds of the movie has him falling into Blackwood's plan and pretty much doing as Blackwood expected. {{spoiler|And he ultimately falls for the distraction that allows Moriarty to get what he wanted.}}
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* [[Xanatos Gambit]] /KansasCityShuffle: The second is part of the first. {{spoiler|Everyone assumes that Irene's employer wants the gas, and indeed, her mission is to steal it for him. But it ultimately doesn't matter at all to Moriarty whether the gas is used against Parliament or not, or whether Adler succeeds in stealing the canister. [[Kansas City Shuffle|He's really after the first-of-its-kind radio transmitter, a far rarer artifact (yet more versatile) than poison gas, something that would be quite easy to come by in industrial London. Everything she does serves only to distract]] Holmes and Blackwood.}}
* [[You Got Spunk]]: Holmes' reaction to seeing Irene's response to being mugged.
{{quote|
* [[You Just Told Me]]: "I don't care much what you think. I just simply wanted to know the location of Blackwood’s final ceremony. And now you've given it to me. "
== A Game of Shadows ==
* [[Actionized Sequel]]: This movie spends more time on the chase rather than the deduction, as opposed to the first film. While it echoes a lot of the moments and cinematic elements of the first installment, they tend to be more ramped up here (the chase through the forest vs. the explosion run, for instance).
** Strangely enough, this is an accurate reflection of "The Final Problem", the canon story that ''A Game of Shadows'' is loosely based on. That story had no central mystery and very little deductive sequences, and was instead concerned entirely with the Holmes/Moriarty conflict.
* [[Actor Allusion]]: [[Enemy
* [[Almighty Janitor]]: Mycroft is indispensible to the British government, even though no one knows what he exactly does.
* [[Ambiguously Gay]]: Mycroft Holmes. [[Ho Yay|At least.]]
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* [[Awesome By Analysis]]: Back again with Holmes' ability to play out a fight in his head before it begins to achieve victory. Subverted when both Holmes and Moriarty do this simultaneously for the climactic battle {{spoiler|with both concluding that Moriarty will win. [[Take a Third Option|Unle]][[Heroic Sacrifice|ss...]]}}
** Also subverted earlier, when Holmes' attempt to do with this with an assassin is cut short when the nearby fortune teller intervenes, sending a throwing knife into the assassin's chest partway through Holmes' planned-out beatdown. However, the assassin had on chest armor, allowing him to live long enough for the ensuing sequence to last considerably longer.
* [[Battle in
* [[Bigger Stick]]: Moran has Watson pinned behind a covered piece of machinery, until Watson notices what it is he's behind--{{spoiler|a massive cannon}}.
* [[Bomb-Throwing Anarchists]]: Sim and her brother were a member of an anarchist organization before they grew too extreme.
* [[Book Ends]]: {{spoiler|Irene's handkerchief in relation to her entering and exiting the films' plots.}}
* [[Brick Joke]]: {{spoiler|Holmes's camouflage.}}
* [[Call Back]]:
** {{spoiler|Holmes use of the pipe ashes to distract Moriarty is reminiscent of his use of Irene's handkerchief in the first film to distract a boxing opponent.}}
** Watson is ''still'' good at kicking down doors.
** Holmes talked about going to see [[Don Giovanni]] in the first film.
** The large cove in the bowler from the prison yard shows up at {{spoiler|Holmes's funeral.}}
** "Always good to see you, Watson," is a bittersweet example, especially in light of the fact that {{spoiler|Watson is the last thing he sees. He even closes his eyes to make sure of it.}}
* [[Cane Fu]]: Holmes uses his umbrella to hold off a knife wielding Cossack.
* [[Ceiling Cling]]: The Cossack assassin.
* [[Chekhov's Armory]]: Ho boy, where to start.
** Moriarty {{spoiler|feeding the pigeons, the plants in his office, the equations on the board, Holmes's camouflage, the oxygen device, the twin Mooks, the wedding gift}}. About the only past plot point that ''doesn't'' come into play is the radio device from the first film.
** Which is odd, because Moriarty apparently stole that specific device for a reason - and then it's never heard of again. Then again, if there's anything Moriarty will do, it's {{spoiler|to acquire options just in case he needs to use them.}}
** It's implied that he used the technology from that machine to {{spoiler|spearhead chemical weapons development and become a frontrunner in the arms industry.}}
* [[Chekhov's Skill]]: While describing him to Watson near the beginning, Holmes offhandedly mentions that Moriarty {{spoiler|was the boxing champion of Cambridge}}.
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* [[The Chessmaster]]: Both Holmes and Moriarty, as per the norm. The climax of the film even {{spoiler|has them playing chess outside the location of an assassination, their moves mirroring what their 'pieces' are doing inside. The game actually ends verbally, with them stating their moves aloud until one of them wins both the game and the game of wits they've been going at the entire film.}}
* [[Cold-Blooded Torture]]: A hook through the shoulder is not fun. It's even less fun when someone is intentionally twisting it around while the poor victim is hanging from it the way {{spoiler|Moriarty did to Holmes.}}
* [[Cold Sniper]]: Sebastian Moran.
* [[Complexity Addiction]]: Moriarty,with the means at his disposal, he probably could have killed Holmes any time he wanted. Moran could have done it without much trouble, if nothing else. He clearly wanted an opponent to make the game more interesting.
* [[CPR: Clean, Pretty, Reliable]]: Averted. {{spoiler|Watson's chest compressions do not revive Holmes, so he has to use adrenaline. After Holmes is revived, he mentions that his chest really hurts. This also averts [[Magical Defibrillator]] for once in Movie history, as adrenaline is what's actually used to restart a heart that's completely stopped.}}.
* [[Curb Stomp Battle]]:
** The final fistfight as predicted by Holmes and Moriarty, {{spoiler|subverted in that they both conclude that Holmes will be the one stomped into the curb.}}
** Also subverted because {{spoiler|as both men reach the conclusion that Moriarty's victory is inevitable, Holmes blows embers in Moriarty's face and [[Takes a Third Option]] rather than allow the battle to occur.}}
* [[Cursed
{{quote|
'''Holmes''': ''Everything''. That is my curse. }}
* [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]]:
** Moriarty {{spoiler|is perfectly aware that Holmes will figure out his plans if left to his own devices, so he leaves red herrings to distract him and lure him into vulnerable positions.}}
** He also {{spoiler|correctly deduces that Irene would make him meet her in a crowded, public area. To solve that, he literally buys out ''the entire crowd'' to leave on command. And poisons not her first pot of tea, which is waiting for her when she arrives and she has replaced, but her ''second''. Maybe both.}}
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** Moriarty's {{spoiler|tendency to kill pretty everybody that even has a vague idea of who he is means that Holmes has a very difficult time gathering evidence against him.}}
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Aside from the snarkers from the first movie, ''Mary Morstan'' of all people has a few wonderfully snark-tastic moments in the sequel.
* [[Deal
* [[Demoted to Extra]]: Inspector Lestrade, who appears for all of about five seconds and has one line in the second movie, after being a somewhat prominent character in the first.
** {{spoiler|Also Irene, who even gets killed.}}
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* [[Disney Villain Death]]: {{spoiler|Moriarty.}}
* [[Double Entendre]]: Holmes dislikes riding horses because he doesn't like the thought of something with a mind of its own between his legs...
* [[
* [[The Dragon]]: Sebastian Moran, to Moriarty.
* [[Dropped a Bridge
* [[Dying Alone]]: Watson reveals one of the reasons he wants to get married so badly is to avoid this.
* {{spoiler|[[The End -
* [[Everyone Knows Morse]]: Watson apparently, as Holmes has him send a telegram. Justified in that Watson was a serviceman.
* [[Everything's Louder
* [[Evil Cannot Comprehend Good]]: This is the deciding factor in the {{spoiler|'duel' between Holmes and Moriarty at the end; Moriarty thinks, like Holmes, that he is guaranteed to win the fight because of Holmes' injury, but he fails to take into account the idea of Holmes [[Heroic Sacrifice|sacrificing himself]] to [[Taking You
** {{spoiler|Or maybe he did and we will find out in the next movie.}}
* [[Evil Counterpart]]:
** Moriarty to Holmes, with a mind to match his, fighting skills to the same, and he's even capable of {{spoiler|the same [[Sherlock Scan]] Holmes uses to defeat opponents}}.
** [[The Dragon|Moran]] is an [[Evil Counterpart]] to Watson. They're both reliable, competent, neat sidekicks, former military men (who fought in the same war), and they are both excellent marksmen. They both have a remarkable amount of devotion to Moriarty and Holmes, respectively.
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* [[Foregone Conclusion]]: {{spoiler|The camera gives us a really nice view of Reichenbach Falls in the establishing shot of the castle just before the climax of the movie. Anyone familiar with Holmes mythology knows where they were headed.}}
** {{spoiler|Mycroft makes a quick mention of a peace summit at Reichenbach very early on in the film, right before Watson's stag party.}}
* [[Foreshadowing]]:
** When Holmes {{spoiler|first officially meets Moriarty, he mentions that if it one-hundred percent assured Moriarty's destruction, he would gladly accept his own. He follows this through to the extreme at the end when he does a suicide leap off a cliff and [[Taking You
*** Before that, when showing Watson his [[String Theory|web of conspiracy]], Holmes told him {{spoiler|he'd give his life to see Moriarty's demise}}.
** Also, the fate of the Parisian bomb-maker, who {{spoiler|commits suicide in an attempt to save his loved ones from Moriarty}}.
** The wax figure of Holmes may be this for the potential
** {{spoiler|Holmes warned Irene about working for Moriarty}}.
* [[Game-Breaking Injury]]: The way the final fight plays out is almost entirely determined by the fact that {{spoiler|Holmes' shoulder has been incapacitated by torture}}, and Moriarty has zero qualms about exploiting it.
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* [[Genius Bruiser]]: Moriarty was a boxing champion at Cambridge.
* [[Good Old Fisticuffs]]: Moriarty has a more standard boxing style compared to Holmes' esoteric fighting skills. Holmes describes it as "feral" but still good enough to get the job done.
* [[A Handful for
* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: {{spoiler|Holmes. Knowing he can't beat Moriarty in a straight fight due to his [[Game-Breaking Injury|crippled arm]], he [[Taking a Third Option|takes a third option]] and chooses to [[Taking You
* [[He's Just Hiding]]: {{spoiler|In-Universe, literally.}}
* [[How Dare You Die
* [[I Have Your Wife|I Have Your Wife And Kids]]: Moriarty uses this to force the leader of the anarchists to follow his orders, including {{spoiler|shooting himself in the head.}}
** This is basically how Watson gets involved in the plot. Holmes tells Moriarty that Watson is not part of the game, Moriarty announces his plans to [[And Your Little Dog, Too|kill Watson and Mary anyway]]. It is averted, however: Moriarty '''expected''' Holmes to rescue Mary and John, it was one of many diversions the Professor planned to keep Holmes, the only man who could stop him, busy.
* [[I Call
* [[It Got Worse]]: Near the end of the film, {{spoiler|while Holmes and Moriarty fight in their minds, Holmes starts by noting that Moriarty has a serious advantage from Holmes' disabled arm. Shortly thereafter, he thinks something we have never hear him say the like of in any fight in the two films: "Arsenal running low." Moriarty "kills" him seconds later. He is both physically and mentally incapable of beating Moriarty in hand-to-hand, and they both know Moriarty's going to try to kill him.}}
* [[It's Personal]]: {{spoiler|In their first face to face meeting, Moriarty reveals he killed Irene and Watson is next.}} Holmes goes from being almost giddy about his rivalry with Moriarty to being much more withdrawn, showing some Tranquil Fury, and decides that Moriarty needs to be stopped. No matter the cost.
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* [[Kill and Replace]]: {{spoiler|How Moriarty plans to smuggle an assassin into the peace conference.}}
* [[Killed Off for Real]]: {{spoiler|Irene and Moriarty.}}
* [[Leaning
* [[Le Parkour]]: The Cossack assassin uses agility to chase and fight Holmes and Sim. Cossacks, even today, really are good at acrobatics.
* [[Magic Plastic Surgery]]: {{spoiler|Sim's brother is made to look like one of the ambassadors as part of the peace summit plot. The "magic" part is averted, though, in that when trying to identify him, Sim and Watson look for exactly the sort of features that this trope usually ignores.}}
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** Holmes ''himself'', during the same scene. Seeing the guy who has kept an almost-perfect poker face over the course of two movies - in the face of physical punishment, worry that he's losing his best friend to marriage, Watson almost being blown up by Blackwood's booby trap, {{spoiler|the news of Irene's murder being sprung on him, Moriarty's threats toward Watson and Mary, Ravache putting a gun to his own head and pulling the trigger right in front of them, and carnage from a bombing that he could have prevented - break down and howl in agony while Moriarty tortures him is incredibly disturbing.}}
* [[Oh Crap]]: Moran's reaction when Watson reveals {{spoiler|he's been hiding behind a giant cannon}}.
{{quote|
** Similarly, Moriarity has a brief one before their chess match when Holmes mentions [[Chess Motifs|"your bishop against mine"]] and deduces that Holmes means Watson. "That's not exactly fair." {{spoiler|He has a much more real [[Oh Crap]] moment when he realizes that Holmes spotted (and subsequently replaced) his little red book.}}
** Moriarty has an even bigger [[Oh Crap]] moment when Holmes asks "Does the art of domestic horticulture mean anything to you?".
** Watson has one when his winnings get scattered across the floor and he realises he's surrounded by a bunch of opportunistic gamblers.
** Watson has another when he knocks out the head gypsy for taking his scarf, to look around him and see a whole bunch of knife carrying angry gypsies.
** One of the assassins on the train has just enough time to realize that he can't find the grenade he dropped in the satchel full of them and look at his comrade before the whole thing blows up.
** Irene has a very subtle one when she realizes {{spoiler|Moriarty hired ''everyone'' in the restaurant they were meeting in, and makes them leave, meaning their public meeting is actually a lot more private than she expected.}}
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** Moran possibly counts here too, considering that he {{spoiler|got shot ''in the side,'' yet seemed pretty fine just a few days later when he killed Rene at the peace conference.}}
* [[The Other Darrin]]: Moriarty played by Jared Harris, in a way. {{spoiler|He appears in shadow in the first movie and is played by Ed Tolputt in an uncredited role.}}
* [[
* [[Politically-Correct History]]: Holmes and Watson share a dance together and nobody bats an eyelash - despite homosexuality being illegal at the time.
** They do manage a few odd looks from some older gentlemen behind them, but nothing else.
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* [[Shaggy Dog Story]]: Moriarty's primary plan is to try and start [[World War I]]. While Holmes manages to thwart his plan, the audience already knows that all he did was delay the inevitable. Moriarty even Lampshades this during his [[Hannibal Lecture]] to Holmes. Oddly enough, the first World War did not start between France and Germany, although they played a larger role in [[World War Two|the second one]].
** Though at least Holmes prevented it from happening under the influence of a single criminal mastermind who could potential manipulate events to prolong the war.
* [[Shot to
* [[Shout-Out]]:
** Moriarty plans to {{spoiler|start [[World War I]] and profit off weapons sales, much like [[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (
** Mycroft's ( {{spoiler|and Sherlock's}}) oxygen device is basically a steampunk version of the [[James Bond]] rebreather gadget, continuing the long fanon tradition of him being the head of British Intelligence (a idea that has in [[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen|some cases]] gone as far as to saying he is the originator of the position of '''M'''.)
** Holmes' make-up during the scene on the train to Brighton, blue eyeshadow and smeared red lipstick, mimics Joker's facepaint from [[The Dark Knight]]. This is especially funny since RDJ plays the title character in ''[[Iron Man (
** {{spoiler|Before a climactic fight sequence, Holmes and Moriarty both use their [[Awesomeness By Analysis]] to calculate each other's strategies, and the most likely outcome of the fight, resulting in a [[Battle in
** Watson {{spoiler|uses an adrenaline shot to revive Holmes after his heart stops}}, reminiscent of a similar scene in ''[[Pulp Fiction]].''
** Moriarty's torture of choice is {{spoiler|[[The Last King of Scotland|hanging by hooks through the chest]]}}.
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*** {{spoiler|We don't know Moriarty's dead}}
** Played straighter during the train scene. Regardless of how "perfectly timed" it was, Mary came out remarkably unscathed for someone who feel at least fifty feet into a lake out of a speeding train.
* [[Soundtrack Dissonance]]: Moriarty plays (and sings along with) a cheery, innocuous little Schubert tune while {{spoiler|dangling Holmes from the ceiling by a meat hook impaled in his shoulder}}. "Die Forelle" may never be quite the same.
* [[Stolen MacGuffin Reveal]]: Regarding Moriarty's red notebook.
* [[Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome]]: {{spoiler|Irene Adler}} is killed off before the opening titles to make it clear how dangerous Moriarty is.
* [[Take a Third Option]]: {{spoiler|Holmes realizes that if he directly fights Moriarty, he'll lose, and he can't escape. Cue blowing soot in his face and invoking [[Taking You
* [[Taking You
* [[Tarot Troubles]]: Holmes takes Sim's Tarot deck and deals out a few cards to go along with his summation of her current predicament before naming his own goal with one final card: The Devil, Moriarty.
* [[Title Drop]]: Sorta
{{quote|
* [[Tragic Keepsake]]: {{spoiler|Irene's handkerchief}}, given to him as a [[Kick the Dog|dog kicking]] by Moriarty. Subverted in that he disposes of it so it wouldn't cloud his thoughts in pursuing Moriarty with the full range of his intellect.
* [[Trailers Always Spoil]]: {{spoiler|The "woman" on the train is Holmes.}}
* [[Up to Eleven]]: Almost every trope in the first film is cranked up in the second.
* [[Villain
* [[Villainous Breakdown]]: Moriarty has a subtle one when he realizes that Holmes {{spoiler|has stolen his ledger, decoded it, and used it to dismantle his whole organization}}. It progresses to a much more direct example as {{spoiler|Moriarty screams his brains out as he plummets to his demise, unlike the composed Holmes. Admittedly he has just had burning embers thrown in his eyes so they could be screams of pain.}}
* [[Villainous Friendship]]: Colonel Moran and Professor Moriarty. Although Moran is referred to as a gun-for-hire, he is very loyal - at one point he {{spoiler|vows to kill the heroes after digging Moriarty out of the wreckage of a building}} - and the two of them have plans to go to the opera together.
* [[Villains Out Shopping]]: Moriarty going to see ''[[Don Giovanni]]'', and later feeding pigeons in the park.
* [[War for Fun
* [[War Is Hell]]: The chase sequence in Germany seems to evoke this trope, giving a taste of what Moriarty's new weapons would do to Europe.
* [[We Have Ways of Making You Talk]]: Holmes being interrogated by Moriarty.
* [[What Happened to
* [[Wholesome Crossdresser]]: Holmes, to get in the train. (The original script had him as a priest, as in the original short story, but Downey Jr. asked to change for crossdressing as it was funnier.)
* [[Wicked Cultured]]: Moriarty takes this trope to its logical extreme, torturing Holmes while listening to and singing along with Schubert on a phonograph. Moran also says he really wanted to see ''[[Don Giovanni]]'' himself.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Films of the 2010s]]
[[Category:Films of the 2000s]]
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[[Category:Sherlock Holmes (film)]]
[[Category:Film]]
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