TL;DR – While it is not much more than a fun romp through this universe, sometimes that is all you need.    

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this film

Enola Holmes 2 Review –

When the first Enola Holmes rolled around, I wounded if they could bring something new to the Sherlock Holmes world, given its many adaptations recently. The answer was a resounding sort of. Some moments landed, even if it was a relatively straightforward story. However, the characters shone through, and it was clear that Millie Bobby Brown was giving it their all, making the thought of a sequel a good idea. Now we are here, well it was a fun time.    

So to set the scene, since Enola Holmes 1, Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) has started up her own detective agency. The only problem is that no one believes she can be helpful, and they just want to see her brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill). However, when she is about to throw in the towel, a young Bessie (Serranna Su-Ling Bliss) comes with a month-old newspaper clipping. Because her sister Sarah (Hannah Dodd) is missing, and no one cares because they work in a match factory. She is poor and not worth the time for many, but not Enola because a case is afoot.    

Because this is the second time around, you can feel that everyone is just a little more comfortable with their characters. Helena Bonham Carter is only really here to provide chaos here and there, but she revels in it. Henry Cavill walks that fine line between giving Sherlock a touch more humanity without losing what makes the characters work, remembering he is not playing the lead role, and it must work within that tight confine. Louis Partridge is the romantic lead with a love of plants of all shapes and sizes, and that whole scenario was a delight. Susie Wokoma gets a bit more to do this time around, which is excellent because every moment she is on screen is better for it. Finally, Millie Bobby Brown completely inhabits Enola, there is a charm and feeling of fun that comes when she is on screen, and you can feel that energy throughout the film. There is an effortlessness to the forth-wall breaks that I was not expecting, up there with this year’s She-Hulk.    

Regarding the newcomers, David Thewlis is a delight as the menacing Superintendent Grail. You feel that he could be a match for Sherlock in specific scenarios, well, maybe not him alone. I have yet to see a film that was not improved by the presence of Sharon Duncan-Brewster, and here is no exception. Her conversation with Millie about how high society works might be the highlight of the film. With Hannah Dodd as Sarah Chapman, we get the moment where the movie touches on actual historical events. I do how they weave that into the narrative, even if the ‘based on a true story’ moniker gets stretched almost to breaking point.

On the production side of things, Enola Holmes 2 is well shot with good use of locations and costumes to evoke the period. There was only one point in the film where the compositing made clear a green screen, but seeing as you had Millie Bobby Brown hanging off a building at the time, I am not sure there was much damage to the suspension of disbelief. The several action sequences we get are not revolutionary but are all performed well, bar maybe the ending that gets drawn out a touch too long. Though I was surprised by how straightforward the musical score was given they hired Daniel Pemberton. Don’t get me wrong, it is a good score but a bit traditional. When it comes to the narrative, I am not sure the things they are hiding are as well hidden as they thought, but that was not a deal breaker. However, I did like the small cutaways that set up things that happened later in the film, including the one ‘oh dear’ moment.

In the end, do we recommend Enola Holmes 2? Yes, yes, we do. It was fun from start to finish, an almost refreshing change after some dower times at the moment. If you liked Enola Holmes 2, I would recommend to you Extreme Job.     

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Enola Holmes 2
Directed by – Harry Bradbeer
Story by – Harry Bradbeer & Jack Thorne
Screenplay by – Jack Thorne
Based on –The Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer
Music by – Daniel Pemberton
Cinematography by – Giles Nuttgens
Edited by – Adam Bosman
Production/Distribution Companies – Legendary Pictures, PCMA Productions & Netflix
Starring – Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, David Thewlis, Louis Partridge, Susie Wokoma, Adeel Akhtar, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Helena Bonham Carter, Hannah Dodd, Serranna Su-Ling Bliss, Abbie Hern, Gabriel Tierney, Róisín Monaghan, Catriona Chandler, David Westhead, Tim McMullan, Lee Broadman, Tony Licken, Sofia Stavrinou, John Parshall, Lee Boardman & Himesh Patel
Rating – Australia: M;