In Guy Ritchie’s second Sherlock Holmes adventure, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return to their bantering, boisterous best as Holmes and Watson. In their first film together, Sherlock Holmes, they came up against the apparent dark magic of Lord Blackwood, played by Mark Strong. However, this time everything is on a much larger scale as they are up against the mighty intellect of the eccentric detective’s nemesis, James Moriarty, played by Mad Men‘s Jared Harris. They are briefly rejoined by Rachel McAdams, however there is a new addition in the form of Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, known for her role in the 2009 Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

First of all, Robert Downey Jr. is awesome yet again, giving us a Holmes that is just as brilliant and perceptive as he always has been, but with that action twist that we saw in his first outing as the detective. It is refreshing to see such a well-loved character updated to appeal to a modern audience. Downey Jr. plays the eccentric sleuth with the perfect mixture of brilliance and manic tendencies that made Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character famous in the first place. However, he also adds in his own elements to create a character who can be appreciated in the context of these two films alone.

The homoerotic undercurrents of Holmes’ relationship with Dr. Watson are highlighted here even more than they were in the first one. There are a few scenes involving Holmes, the master of disguise, dressed as a woman that bring the comedy to its peak with lines like “lie with me Watson”. Their chemistry is hilariously funny and although it may be slightly too overt for a typical Holmes film, when you’ve got a Holmes who’s a martial-arts expert, this was never going to have the classic feel of the oldies. Jude Law plays Watson again, a role he manages to pull off well through the clever use of a magnificent moustache and a fantastic array of hats.

Although Rachel McAdams has a small part, the female lead is suitably filled by Noomi Rapace. She plays the mysterious, fortune-telling gypsy Madam Simza Heron, who joins forces with Holmes and Watson when it is revealed that not is all as it seems where her brother is concerned. She gives a bad-ass performance as a woman who can handle herself and she makes a great companion for the two men.

Their ultimate goal is to bring down Professor Moriarty, who has an ominous plan that must be stopped. Jared Harris gives a convincingly evil performance as Moriarty, the only person in the world with a hope of equalling the brilliance of Holmes’ mind, or his borderline insanity. The two men have immensely tense scenes together, culminating in a spectacular finale at a waterfall, which readers of the books will remember.

Oh yes, and Stephen Fry plays Holmes’ brother Mycroft. Fry’s character provides a place of refuge for Watson’s new wife, played by Kelly Reilly, while her husband is off gallivanting and fighting bad-guys. However, his character contributes little to the main plot and tends to feel a little superfluous. He does provide us with a good few laughs though and if you can add that into a film, then why not?

Guy Ritchie has directed this film in his typical gritty-but-slick way, and his trademark slow-motion action sequences are spectacular. Compared with his first Holmes film, there is much more of this technique and it can slow down the action just a bit too much. However, no-one can deny that it an interesting new perspective on the action – very rarely do you get to watch a bullet shoot through a tree, splintering it into pieces before your eyes.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is shot on a much larger scale than Sherlock Holmes. Everything from the comedy to the slo-mo is enhanced and it is no longer set in London. This is a Holmes film of larger ambitions – the detectives travel further afield to France, Germany and Switzerland – most of which it fulfils.

Although very little has been revealed about Allen‘s next directorial venture – apart from the fact that it is set in Rome – several big names are now attached to the film.

First to be enlisted was Penelope Cruz, who previously worked with Allen back in 2008 with Vicky Cristina Barcelona. A few days ago it was announced that another former collaborator was to join the cast list, in the form of Alec Baldwin, who starred in Allen’s 1990 film, Alice.

Now, however, it seems a couple of Allen first-timers have been added to the bill. Jesse Eisenberg, who recently received much critical acclaim for his performance in The Social Network, has been confirmed to star, as has actress Ellen Page, who made her name in the 2007 comedy-drama, Juno.

Meanwhile, Allen has another film soon to be released – Midnight in Paris. This upcoming romantic comedy is scheduled to première at the at the 64th Cannes Film Festival in May (which we’ve already reported on here), and stars Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams and Carla Bruni, amongst others.

We’ll keep you posted!

However, this certainly isn’t the first time that the fast-paced and scandalous setting of the newsroom has provided inspiration for film-makers. With this in mind, we’ve come up with a fantastic Newsroom Movie Quiz!

Hollywood legends Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton also star in the film, although Keaton was not present last night.

Despite the all-star American cast, the film is directed by a Brit, Notting Hill-director Roger Michell. It is written by the lady behind The Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses, Aline Brosh McKenna.

Morning Glory tells the story of aspiring news producer Becky Fuller (McAdams) who begins work on the show DayBreak, which is struggling to compete with its larger rivals. She hires Collen Peck (Keaton) to co-host with Mike Pomperoy (Ford). The pair seriously clash and Becky is left trying to salvage the show and her sanity.

Speaking about her role in the film McAdams said:

“I grew up watching Harrison. I loved, loved Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was my favourite, hands down, movie growing up. I wore out the tape. It was surreal working with him; I had to pinch myself.”

She wasn’t the only one in awe of the cast, director Michell, who has spent the last six years making low-budget movies in the UK, said:

“Having Harrison Ford, Jeff Goldblum, Diane Keaton and Rachel McAdams in the same film is a huge plus, but it’s also scary because they’re people I grew up with. Not Rachel obviously but Harrison and Diane were in films I watched as a kid, so the pressure was on. Thankfully they’re very creative and very good fun to work with.”

In the US the film was received with mixed reviews and was considered a disappointment in terms of box office success as it only took about $12 million in it’s opening week, which is low considering the calibre of the cast.

Morning Glory opens in UK cinemas on January 21, take a look at the trailer below.

The original Mean Girls came out in 2004 and was directed by Mark Waters. The screenplay was written by Tina Fey, who has become somewhat of a comedy queen in the last few years.

It starred, of course, the then up-and-coming teen star Lindsay Lohan, who has had a highly reported breakdown and been in and out of rehab since. Amanda Seyfried and Rachel McAdams are also in the film and have gone on to do some pretty great things, like Mama Mia for Amanda and The Wedding Crashers for Rachel.

Mean Girls was and still is a breath of fresh air in terms of teen movies. It has all the drama of the classics like Clueless, but with some of the more macabre feel of Heathers.

It tells the story of Cady Heron (Lohan) who moves to America after being brought up by aid worker parents in Africa. She becomes a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school. However things go horribly wrong when she falls for the ex-boyfriend of alpha-Plastic Regina George.

Anyway, Paramount Pictures have decided to release a trailer, god knows why they have waited this long. It’s almost as if it’s to rub it in Lindsay‘s face. Ha! Look at the success you once had! She shouldn’t worry though, as it looks absolutely terrible and verges on being painful to watch. Oh and it’s going straight to DVD, in spring of next year.

Check it out, if you think you can bear it.

While The Time Traveler’s Wife (released today), based on the award-winning novel by Audrey Niffenegger, certainly isn’t a chick-flick, it’s not exactly fun for all of the family – despite the fact that the central male character has the potential to become a hero to guys worldwide (he disappears for days at a time yet manages to convince his wife that he’s been time travelling. Incredible). 

Another bonus for dudes being dragged to see the flick is Rachel McAdams and her limited wardrobe… Just don’t let her know this…

The actress has been getting her knickers in a twist over the attention that nude scenes get given, stating that “when you’re playing a fictional character, it [getting your kit off] is as normal and mundane as eating breakfast. What bothers me is our culture’s obsession with nudity. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but it is.

“I think this overemphasis with nudity makes actors nervous. There’s the worry about seeing one’s body dissected, misrepresented, played and replayed on the internet.”