Jared Harris will battle the world's greatest detective this Christmas when 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows' hits theaters

Credit: Warner Bros

Sure enough, the avalanche of new marketing materials continues today with the release of the trailer for Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows."  We ran a piece the other day about the two teaser posters that debuted over the weekend, and now there's a trailer to go with it, and there's a lot to digest here.

It does not appear that Ritchie's made any major shift in style here, and that's a good choice.  His "Sherlock" was marked by some very big choices in terms of how it's shot and cut, and it looks like the new movie is absolutely in line with the first one.  The chemistry between Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. appears to be front and center as well, which was obviously a big part of the first film's appeal.

But what this trailer's really selling is the larger scope, with what looks like pretty much non-stop action, as well as the new cast members that have been added to the mix.  Noomi Rapace appears to be a fortune teller of some sort, and casting her as a gypsy is a very natural fit for Arthur Conan Doyle's version of London.  Just dealing with the friction between what is real and what is hustle in a character like hers is a great nod to the concerns that plagued Doyle in his real life.  How they use her is important, but as far as a type of character, she is a perfect addition to the world.

But the big news this time, of course, is Jared Harris playing Moriarty, the greatest adversary to the greatest detective of all time, and there was a photo this morning in USA Today that gave us our first good look at Harris in character.  He's all over the trailer, and if they're serious about building this as an ongoing franchise, this is the most important moment they face.  You have to give Sherlock an equal to face, and Professor Moriarty, "The Napoleon Of Crime," has got to be that person.

This is a teaser more than anything, with lots of jokes and punches and explosions, and we still have no real idea how the story works, but for now, it looks like Downey in drag is going to be our Christmas present this year.

"Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows" opens December 16, 2011.