Enola Holmes 2 (2022)
Rating: PG-13
My Review: 3/5
Genre: Mystery/Crime
Run Time: 2h 9m
Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) has decided to open her own detective agency in London following her success at the end of the first movie. If you need a small refresher, she saved Tewksbury’s (Louis Partridge) from his murderous grandmother and revealed a family riddled with corruption. However, the public seems to think it was her brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill) that solved that case, so her agency is suffering. No one is interested in Enola when there’s the famous Sherlock to compete with. No one, that is, until a match factory girl goes missing and her sister wants answers. Enola is determined to find Sarah (Hannah Dodd) even as dark threads begin to unravel.
For me, the stars of this movie will always be Eudoria Holmes (Helena Bonham Carter), Enola’s mother, and Sherlock Holmes. Bonham is a magnetic force on screen and your eyes are always drawn to her whenever she appears. She easily embodies the witty, loving, and secretive mother that watches over Enola from the background. Cavill also did a better job in this sequel of showing a more human side to Sherlock. He’s not the Robert Downey Jr version but something more refined and refreshing. I did miss the banter between Mycroft (Sam Claflin) and Sherlock since Claflin did not reprise his role this go around. Their dynamic in the first movie created some necessary inner conflict for Enola. I also thought it was interesting that they further explored feminism in this film. Was it always realistic? Of course not, but I don’t expect many people to watch Enola Holmes 2 for realism.
Where I think this film falters, and where the first film excelled, is the lack of heart. There aren’t enough scenes between Enola and Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) to garner chemistry so later when they (SPOILER) kiss it feels undeserved. Enola also has a tendency to be rude to him and that’s not something I equate with romance. Perhaps that’s less of an example of the script writing and more related to Brown and Partridges’ acting chops. They’re still young and it shows. Where Cavill and Carter show a depth of understanding for their characters, Brown and Partridge feel like they are just trying to act.
It’s not as good as the first film, but it’s still a wonderful adventure to embark on if you are looking for something easy to watch. It won’t stress you out and you might even crack a smile or two – maybe even chuckle!
Cast:
Henry Cavill (Sherlock Holmes)
Milly Bobby Brown (Enola Holmes)
Helena Bonham Carter (Eudoria Holmes)
David Thewlis (Grail)
Louis Partridge (Tewkesbury)
Hannah Dodd (Sarah Chapman)
Director: Harry Bradbeer