Movie Review: Enola Holmes 2

Rating: 3 of 5

Star Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, David Thewlis

Director: Harry Bradbeer

The second Enola Holmes movie is the rare sequel that improves on the first. Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister Enola Holmes wasn’t part of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories — she’s the creation of Nancy Springer, who wrote seven books about the teenage detective. Without having to spend time on setup, reconnecting Enola with her family, they can put the main mystery at center stage, while her relationship with her famous brother bolsters the plot instead of distracting from it.

While Nancy Springer’s six-book YA series The Enola Holmes Mysteries provides the foundation for this fledgling movie franchise, returning screenwriter Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials) strikes out in an entirely different direction, plot wise. Enola’s latest mystery taps into the real-life history of the Matchgirls’ Strike of 1888, though Thorne does borrow some familiar elements from the books, including an upper-crust ally in Lady Cecily (Hannah Dodd) and such high-society intel as the language of flowers.

At times it appears that the movie is not sure how much to ground its adolescent whimsy nor how far to push its PG-13 rating. Murder is much more serious business than kidnapping, and Enola even gets herself wrongfully accused, but it’s unclear how dire those stakes are meant to be.

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Much of the joy in this franchise — one aimed at the younger set, but with lots to offer viewers of all ages — is the energy Brown brings to the character. It’s the same sort of energy that Bradbeer excels at bringing to the screen when he’s not distracted by tying up the many loose ends in Jack Thorne’s script. Of course, Enola’s case is going to intersect with Sherlock’s. Of course, Sarah’s disappearance is part of something much greater. Of course, sterling character actors who occupy seemingly small roles aren’t just there for fun. There’s something afoot, and savvy watchers know that and still expect to be charmed in the process.

The costume and set design are just as stunning as the first time around, and should certainly be praised for their attention to detail. The plot itself has ties to real history, which makes it intriguing and Probably the biggest issue with this movie is the same issue that the first one had, and that is that it is just far too long. Enola Holmes 2 clocks in at two hours and ten minutes, which is quite excessive — especially for a quirky and fun mystery movie like this.captivating.

Enola Holmes 2 is fine. It is entertaining and fun. Silly, but not too silly. The problem lies in that it is very similar to the first one, but just features a different mystery to solve. The cast is fantastic and they do what they can with the overstuffed script and quirky dialogue. It isn’t a bad movie, it just feels familiar, slightly predictable, and far too long. Still, fans of the first one are sure to enjoy this one as well.