Critics weren’t wowed by director Guy Ritchie’s 2009 original, and this time around is no different. By Kevin P. Sullivan Robert Downey Jr. in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” Robert Downey Jr. ‘s steampunk take on the classic literary detective returns for a new mystery in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” The first film from 2009 didn’t exactly wow the critics, and the sequel is no exception. The mixed response ranges from “better than the first” to “one of the worst of the year,” but the chemistry between Downey and Jude Law earned the critics’ highest complements. We’ve rounded up some of the best reviews to give you a sense what the critics are saying: The Story “As the film opens, Watson is paying a visit to his occasional partner in solving crimes. His wedding to Mary (Kelly Reilly) is fast approaching and Holmes is to be his best man. The intrigues begin in earnest with the bachelor party Holmes throws at an eccentric gentleman’s club, in which none of Dr. Watson’s pals show up but two new characters do — a very wry Stephen Fry as Holmes’ brother, Mycroft, and a Gypsy fortuneteller Madam Simza Heron, played by Noomi Rapace. Holmes has had a chance encounter (or was it) with the lovely Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) who seemed clearly over her head in something that involves Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris, the age-old nemesis, but newly arrived to the films and as dapper as he is in ‘Mad Men’).” — Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times Robert Downey Jr. “Really, if [director Guy] Ritchie were on the case, even a little bit, how could he not notice Robert Downey Jr. giving the worst performance of his career? This is a director of some stature. He could talk to his star and help him. Here is an actor capable of dazzling audiences with his virtuosity, and yet there he is, slack and flat, phoning it in with a blithe delivery and his accent going in and out. Downey knows — of course he knows — that he could sleepwalk through the movie, and it will still be a hit.” — Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle The Direction “Ritchie has done it again. In an act of criminal negligence, he’s wasted Robert Downey Jr. — an actor with the perfect verbal dexterity to play Sherlock Holmes — in a sequel that eliminates smarts in favor of relentless headbanging. 2009’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ was lousy, but it was also a big hit. So the sequel, ‘A Game of Shadows,’ is more of the stupid same. It wouldn’t matter so much if Downey and Jude Law, as the bromantic Dr. Watson, didn’t look so ready to turn on the cerebral dazzle. Instead, Ritchie treats them like action goons out of his ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ basement.” — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone As a Sequel “After Guy Ritchie’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ (2009) with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law grossed something like half a billion dollars, this was no time to rethink the approach. What they have done, however, is add a degree of refinement and invention, and I enjoyed this one more than the earlier film.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times The Final Word “It’s elementary. If you enjoyed the first ‘Sherlock Holmes’ directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson, then you’ll likely leave the sequel feeling satiated.” — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune Check out everything we’ve got on “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
Long live the memory of our most-perfectly-nosed savior Elizabeth Taylor, whose Oscar cred and Crayola eyes shall live on in fabulous montages for eternity. Now, part of the matrimonial legend’s legacy can be ours: Her glorious Cleopatra wig — made from real human hair — is hitting the auction block . Oooh! I wonder if there are traces of Richard Burton’s saliva on it. Actually, I wonder if we can score a deal on other Liz Taylor movie memorabilia. Cleopatra is a decadent, but pretty uninteresting note in her career. No prestige, just bombast. Here’s the Liz stuff I’d rather bid on this holiday season.
Some might say she isn’t even the hottest woman to have shared a bed with Brad Pitt, but Men’s Health readers disagree: According to a new poll from that magazine, Jennifer Aniston is the Hottest Woman of All-Time. A questionable choice? Maybe? But have you seen the following photo?1? “Funny is sexy, and Jennifer Aniston is funny,” the publication explains . “Her down-to-earth persona makes her seem attainable… And her all-too-human love life off screen inspires sympathy that not even a string of bland romantic comedies can diminish. Other sex symbols drift toward one-dimensionality, becoming flat icons in the process, but throughout her career Aniston has remained sexy, funny, and unmistakably real.” Rounding out the poll’s top five: Raquel Welch, Marilyn Monroe, Britney Spears and Madonna. Angelina Jolie came in at number-10. Ogle our Jennifer Aniston photo gallery and decide: Is this the hottet woman of all-time?
Long before Lindsay Lohan Did Playboy Pics ….Charlize Theron did Playboy pics….but she was just a model from South Africa whose mom killed her dad and who probably already showed titty for fashion…who had a mission to get into Hollywood…and that worked…and not some crackwhore on the tailend of her career trying to hold on as hard as she can at 25….but I guess it worked for Theron and Lohan’s strategy may work for her, but the truth is that I think the winner in all this is you and me…cuz we get to look at the pics…they enhance our shit life… I guess Charlize Theron is promoting a movie…slutting it up with titty and red latex looking tight outfits…tapping into her slutty roots….cuz it got her attention before and it may do it again…. Here’s her titty….in a dress…..
I don’t give a fuck about Kelly Rowland and her shitty fake tits…or the fact that Beyonce ruined her career for a solo career and I don’t care to figure out who her lesbian lover in the see through top is…and I sure as hell have no fucking idea why I’m even posting the shit…but for some reason I just can’t stop myself…I guess the day can’t all be about the Lindsay Lohan Playboy Pics
‘I generally get behind everything Ron does, no matter how extreme,’ Nick Offerman tells MTV News of his ‘Parks and Recreation’ antihero. By Josh Wigler Nick Offerman in “Parks and Recreation” Photo: NBC If ever there were a man deserving of all the eggs and bacon you have, it’s Ron Swanson. The Parks Department director of Pawnee, Indiana, is perhaps the manliest man on television, complete with what is indisputably the manliest mustache on TV today. There’s something else you should know about Mr. Swanson too: He’s the best television character of 2011! Swanson won the highest honor in our Top 50 TV Characters of 2011 countdown over the likes of cancer-stricken chemistry teacher-turned-murderous meth cook Walter White of “Breaking Bad” and our very own “Jersey Shore” favorite Snooki. All three could have easily earned that top prize, but in the end, there’s just no resisting the raw, hilarious awesome that is Ron Swanson. But Ron would be nothing without Nick Offerman, the actor, comedian and professional woodworker who has played the staunch anti-government government employee for four seasons of “Parks and Recreation.” Offerman spoke with MTV News about his status as 2011’s top television character, why Ron is such an appealing figure, his battle with the terrible Tammys and much, much more. MTV : Congratulations! Ron Swanson is our #1 pick for the best TV character of the year. It goes without saying that we’re all very big fans over here! Nick Offerman : Well, thank you. I’m over the moon. I’m so flattered. It’s crazy! MTV : When did it dawn on you that Ron was such a big hit? We’ve seen countless Internet memes about him, and he’s always the topic of conversation after a “Parks and Rec” episode airs. When did it hit you that Ron had really arrived? Offerman : It sort of came out of the blue around the holidays two years ago. It was the fall of our season two. My wife [Megan Mullally, who plays Tammy Two] and I don’t really cotton to the Internet too much, so people started saying to me, “You’re getting a lot of attention on the Internet. You might want to think about getting a publicist. I think you might have something here.” I said, “OK, that sounds like hogwash to me, but I’ll go along with it.” And I haven’t looked back. It’s been incredibly gratifying and astonishing. See our Top 50 TV Characters of 2011, 50 to 41, including a masked bachelor and dashing novelist/crime-fighter. MTV : You spend so much time playing this character, four seasons deep now. For you, what’s the appeal of Ron? What is it about this character that you love playing so much? Offerman : Well, I guess I spent so many years of my career utilizing a sense of humor that we see in Ron and being rejected for it. For so many years, people have been telling me to talk faster. “Try not to be so scary.” [ Laughs. ] To finally find writers that have such simpatico with me and my sense of humor has got to be my favorite thing about Ron. They write me a scene where the most important thing I can do is remain silent and immobile, and that’s the hilarious part. [ Laughs. ] It kind of feels like coming home after all these years. MTV : It’s been a big year for the character. Right out the gate in season four, we got to meet the other two Tammys in Ron’s life, Tammy One and Tammy Zero. What was it like finally getting to interact with all these legendary women in Ron’s life? Offerman : For me the actor, it’s such an embarrassment of riches to do an episode with Megan, Patricia Clarkson and Paula Pell. It’s like being told that you’re going to play in the World Series with the most incredible all-star team assembled as your teammates. I was really traumatized by the effects all these women had on Ron. His face was denuded of his mustache, much like Samson having his locks snipped off by Delilah, as well as his family jewels. It really felt like I was being simultaneously raped and fed a delicious meal. [ Laughs. ] See our Top 50 TV Characters of 2011, 40 to 31, including a “hootie hoo!”-hollering chef and funnyman talk-show host. MTV : Do you think we’ve seen the last of the Tammys? As in, are there any other Tammys lurking about out there in Ron’s life? Offerman : I can’t imagine. I think the power of this triumvirate is so all-encompassing. I think we have more than enough fuel for many more seasons with the Tammys we’ve established. MTV : You brought up something that I was going to touch on: Ron losing his mustache really was a Samson moment. Could Ron ever truly be Ron Swanson without that mustache, or is it critical to who he is? Offerman : I think if, God forbid, Ron was in some sort of disfiguring accident that disallowed him to grow whiskers anymore, I don’t think he could bounce back. I think Ron is an accessory to the mustache, or the mustache is an accessory to Ron. My friend is this genius artist named Pat Roberts, and he has a painting of a wimpy-looking sheriff with a sheriff’s badge on, and there’s a balloon with this mean look on its face, hanging next to the sheriff. It says: “For obvious reasons, Staticky Pete wore the badge, but everyone knew the balloon was the sheriff.” I think everyone knows that the mustache carries the thunder for Ron. Check out our Top 50 TV Characters of 2011, 30-21, including a depressed meth cook and a football coach with a heart of gold. MTV : One of the reasons we love Ron so much is that he gets away with things that we only wish we could get away with in our life. For example, when he discovers how much personal information can be learned about him through Google — that you can see a satellite image of his property — his response is to throw his computer in the trash. I can certainly relate to that. Do you relate to Ron’s view of the world? Offerman : Absolutely. I’m very much a Luddite by choice. I grew up on a farm out in the middle of a cornfield. You’d go for days without being reached by people. Now, in the information age, you have everyone at your beck and call — or, more to the point, to be at the beck and call of the world — on a device in your pocket, and it’s incredibly distasteful. I often fantasize about throwing the whole thing in the ocean. Unfortunately, I’m in a business where my agent tells me I have a meeting with Patricia Roberts next week. MTV : You’re hooked in, sir. There’s very little you can do. Offerman : There is, but look, what my wife and I do is eschew as much as we can. We don’t do Twitter, we don’t do Facebook. It’s all we can do to answer our e-mails; that already takes up too much time, so we don’t do much [Web] surfing. MTV : On the flipside, is there anything about Ron that you can’t relate to? Are there things he does that you just can’t see yourself pulling off in your life? Offerman : In principle, no. I generally get behind everything Ron does, no matter how extreme. But when Ron exhibits superhuman abilities, that’s when it crosses the line. We shot an episode recently where I have to jam an entire hamburger into my mouth. We did a take and it was obviously really hard — bun and all, I had to shove the whole thing into my mouth! We did a take, and the director said to the prop lady, “Was that the small, medium or large burger?” It was the small. “Can we get another one?” And I go, “Hey! I understand that Ron could get the whole slab of a cow in his mouth and pull out a bone like Fred Flintstone, but I’m an actor in the physical world!” [ Laughs. ] There’s only so much grub I can cram into my mouth! Check out our Top 50 TV Characters, 20-11, featuring a sword-wielding 9-year-old and a Trouble Tones teen. People will also ask me … there’s this one episode where Ron makes an Irish harp in one night after drinking an enormous amount of whiskey. People will say to me — and this is the power of TV — did you really do that? [ Laughs. ] No! No one can really do that! That’s ridiculous! It’s a hilarious comedy! Even my brother who works in my shop with me, there’s one episode where I’m carving a chunk of wood, and in the next scene there’s a big, wooden swan that I’ve ostensibly carved in about 40 minutes. And my brother said, “Did you really carve that?” [ Laughs. ] He’s familiar with my work! He’s familiar with my method! It would take me a day and a half if I hustled. For shame! MTV : “Parks and Rec” is one of the funniest shows on TV. I think a lot of that owes to the fact that, obviously, the writing is incredible, but the cast is so strong. These characters play off each other so well. What’s that dynamic like on set, four seasons into the game? Offerman : It’s so fun. We never stop talking about how lucky we are that we get to do this for pay. We’re shooting an episode this week where the whole cast is in a recording studio recording a song for Andy Dwyer. That situation is so goddamn enjoyable, and everybody gets to add their flavor to this incredibly steamy goulash that we’re serving. It’s so fun to look around and watch one person after another hit a home run. Don’t miss our Top 10 Characters of 2011, including a “Jersey Shore” guidette and a real daughter of New Jersey. MTV : Final question for you: We know what Ron’s capacity is … but what is the most bacon and eggs you’ve ever eaten? Offerman : Gosh … I’d have to go back to my youth when my dad and I would have bacon and eggs every morning. I’d say five eggs, and I take those over medium, and close to a pound of bacon. MTV : Wow. Offerman : I can pack it away, but my capacity pales in comparison to Mr. Swanson. Only Ron Swanson could stomach all of the eggs and bacon you have. MTV will reveal the best artists, songs and movies of the year. Come to MTV News each day to see more big reveals and check out more of MTV’s Best of 2011 music, TV, movies and news coverage.
Having begun his career as American independent film’s great hope with delicate, languid features like George Washington and All the Real Girls , David Gordon Green has devoted the last few years to turning out goofball stoner comedies that, aside from their hip and very current casts, could seem like forgotten oddball ’80s artifacts discovered in a box of dusty VHS tapes at a garage sale. While it’s not a career trajectory anyone who went googly-eyed over his early output would have guessed for him, there’s an unmistakable undercurrent of glee to these recent films that suggests Green — who still works with many of the crew members with which he started, including composer David Wingo and DP Tim Orr — is having a great time making exactly the type of movies he wants to.
Did Rachel Crow earn your vote on The X Factor last night? The young singer took to the stage twice, first doing an impression of Bruno Mars and then covering “Music and Me,” and earning strong, weird praise from the judges. “I’m waiting for the Rachel Crow doll to come out complete with your own bathroom,” Nicole Scherzinger said, for example. But are these performances enough to keep Rachel around for another week? Compare her most recent versions to Melanie Amaro’s ( HERE ) and Josh Krajcik’s ( HERE ) and decide for yourself… Rachel Crow – Nothing On You Rachel Crow – Music And Me
A new study suggests that women who have had breast implants should really think about not smoking. Why? Well, in addition to the many, well-documented health risks … Your nipples may TURN BLACK AND FALL OFF. Anthony Youn, M.D., a plastic surgeon in Detroit, is the author of In Stitches , a humorous memoir about growing up Asian-American and becoming a doctor. There’s nothing amusing about this, however. In an excerpt he shared with CNN, he relayed a horryfying problem among women with breast enhancements: “I cringe every time I see a patient for a breast lift who’s a smoker,” the physician reflects . “I’m deathly afraid that despite my warnings, she will smoke before or after surgery and cause her nipples to turn black and fall off. Yes. Smokers who undergo breast lifts may soon have zero nipples. “I’ve seen it before,” he says. Oh, and don’t smoke when pregnant either. Bad for the kid.
Daniel Craig is not a fan of the Kardashians. He made this opinion known during a recent talk with GQ , referring to the reality stars as ” f-cking idiots ” for putting their public life in display… and then demanding privacy from the media when they saw fit. Now, of course, Kris Jenner is calling out the actor. In a chat with Heat Magazine , the manager mother of Kourtney, Khloe and Kim Kardashian said of Craig’s comments: “(He has) crossed the line. It’s not made him look like the world’s nicest guy. The right thing for a real man to do now would be to issue a public apology. The easy thing would be to criticize his career now, but our family won’t stoop to that level.” No, they are clearly above it. It would also be difficult, seeing that Craig anchors two of the most popular franchises in Hollywood. What do you think? Should Daniel Craig apologize to the Kardashians?
