Arthur Wontner's second Sherlock Holmes effort sees a noticeable production upgrade in comparison to the first, made only one year earlier: there are exterior shots, crowd scenes, and at the climax a boat chase (!), fistfights and shootings. Granted, most of the action is crude, sped-up and murky, but it's still an advancement over "The Sleeping Cardinal"'s boxed-in style; the villains are more sinister here too, compared to how Moriarty was portrayed in the first film. Wontner is even better as Sherlock Holmes in his second go-round; he has grown into the role. Doctor Watson has been re-cast and re-profiled to more fit the mold of the romantic, two-fisted hero. Worth noting: Holmes does not appear in his "greatest case" until the first third of the movie is over! **1/2 out of 4.
