Rebecca’s Take
After various iterations of beloved detective Sherlock Holmes have surfaced on the big and small screens in recent years, 2020’s enjoyable “Enola Holmes” added a refreshing twist to the mix. The teen-centric mystery, starring the formidable Millie Bobby Brown as Sherlock’s younger sister and equally capable sleuth, crafted a fun and engaging offshoot that all ages could enjoy, promising more adventures with its disarming heroine.
Two years later, “Enola Holmes 2” cracks the case on how to make a sequel that’s just as delightful as the original. The follow-up, streaming on Netflix, takes what was good about the first one and gives viewers more of it. The dynamic Brown establishes herself as a powerhouse of talent, leading a well-balanced and diverse cast.
Picking up after the first film, “Enola Holmes 2” follows Enola as she opens a detective agency in 19th century London, trying to find her own path. However, the teen has trouble securing clients who keep comparing her to her more famous brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill).
That changes when Bessie (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss), a young girl with nowhere else to turn, seeks Enola’s help in finding her missing sister, Sarah Chapman. The two are workers at a matchstick factory where girls keep getting sick from typhus. When Enola finds out Sarah had another job, the gumshoe uncovers more threads that lead to a bigger conspiracy – including a case of blackmail that Sherlock is working on. Along the way, Enola realizes she can be true to herself while accepting the help of her friends and family.
Learning from its excellent predecessor, “Enola Holmes 2” zones in on what worked in the first film and mines it to full effect here. The film is consistently entertaining, funny and smart, avoiding the jarring changes in tone found in its predecessor. The original provided a star vehicle for Brown, launching a franchise for the “Stranger Things” superstar. Now, the breezy, fast-moving sequel allows Brown to shine as the pure dynamo she is.
Bursting with charisma, Brown commands every scene as the lively Enola. Whether she’s solving a puzzle, questioning a witness, running through the streets or breaking out jujitsu moves, Brown brings the same intensity to every action. As Enola, she’s clever yet naive, compassionate yet discerning, brave yet vulnerable. Breaking the fourth wall, she lets us in on what she’s thinking, sometimes with just a knowing smile or eye roll. The audience becomes her sidekick – her very own Dr. Watson – as we solve the mystery right alongside her.
The sequel expands upon the feminist themes presented in the original, building to a powerful message. In the first film, Enola learned about empowering herself and finding her own path from her free-thinking mother, Eudoria (the wonderful Helena Bonham Carter), a women’s rights activist. But in “Enola Holmes 2,” our young heroine’s journey continues. As the fiercely independent Enola, she learns it’s OK to accept the help of others. Once you find your voice, you can raise your voices together – and make even more noise. Bonham Carter returns, along with fellow suffragette Edith (Susan Wokoma), to provide the support Enola needs as the teen sleuth’s beliefs are tested.
The film also shows being independent doesn’t mean being alone. This includes letting love into your life. Also returning from the first film is Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), now a social reformer who shares a spark with Enola. Tewkesbury is articulate and cultured where wild child Enola is not. The two share a cute scene where he teaches her how to dance. On the other hand, Enola is street-smart and resourceful where Tewkesbury is lacking. In turn, she teaches him how to fight. Their teen romance is lovely to watch as their opposite qualities balance each other out, making them a good match.
“Enola Holmes 2” also gives Cavill’s fan favorite Sherlock more screen time. In the original, Cavill played Sherlock as more human, showing care and concern for his sister, whereas other portrayals of the character showcase Sherlock’s arrogance or quirky genius. In the sequel, the “Man of Steel” and “The Witcher” actor digs deeper into Sherlock’s role as a watchful big brother. Cavill and Brown play off each other well, alternatively clashing and complementing one another. Cavill also gets to be lighter here, showing a penchant for physical comedy. In a humorous sequence, a drunk Sherlock must rely on his sister to hold him up as they make their way back to his apartment at 221B Baker Street. By using more Sherlock, the follow-up wisely opts not to bring back his and Enola’s dour brother, Mycroft (Sam Claflin), from the first film.
Amid a large cast, the sequel masterfully balances its returning faces with new ones while highlighting its diversity. David Thewlis adds a menacing presence as Grail, a police superintendent with questionable motives. Bliss radiates innocence and hope as the worried Bessie. Hannah Dodd brings warmth and caring as Cicely, an ally for Enola at a stuffy ball. Adeel Akhtar makes the undermatched inspector Lestrade likable. As hovering secretary Mira Troy, Sharon Duncan-Brewster commiserates with Enola on the state of women’s affairs.
The mystery itself compels viewers with plenty of twists and turns. However, some parts of the plot were easy to figure out. Despite this, “Enola Holmes 2” largely succeeds except for its action. Like most sequels, the film tries to go bigger the second time out, but some of the new sequences don’t work as well as in the first one.
The original displayed Enola’s parkour moves as she faced one adversary after another. But the sequel shies away from showing the intricacy of the fights. This is odd as Brown has trained in jujitsu, but perhaps other members of the cast were not as qualified.
The action sequences lack focus. A daring carriage chase halfway through the film is full of energy but is marred by some shaky cam and rough cuts. The ambitious finale features a whopping four fights taking place at once. However, the quick cuts between the battles make the action confusing to watch.
Delivering on the promise of its 2020 predecessor, “Enola Holmes 2” solves the mystery of making a sequel on par with the first one. Full of intrigue, humor and heart, the fantastic follow-up taps into the original’s strengths, handing over the stage to the versatile Brown. The sequel develops the first film’s female-empowered themes and gives the charming Cavill more to do.
“Enola Holmes 2” puts together the pieces of a solidly entertaining franchise. The sequel proves the game is still afoot for finding new ways to explore the Sherlock Holmes mythology, with its tenacious heroine leading the way.
4 out of 5 stars
Joe’s Take
I’ve always been a big fan of any Sherlock Holmes property, whether its Benedict Cumberbatch’s BBC show or the Robert Downey Jr.-led films, including the underrated “Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.” The question is how long can TV and film dip into the Sherlock well until it runs dry? Netflix’s “Enola Holmes” franchise proved it still has plenty of life.
In a rare sequel that builds off its predecessor, “Enola Holmes 2” took what made the first film great and delved deeper into the characters, themes and entertainment.
Millie Bobby Brown (Enola Holmes) rises above the rest of the stellar talent with another powerhouse performance. The franchise gives Brown more of an opportunity to show her range than her breakout role as Eleven in “Stranger Things” and she makes the most of it. She masters flashy with subtlety as she breaks the fourth wall, but not too much to overuse the trope. A lot of the time, Brown talks directly to the audience, but other times it’s just body language or a quick glance. It’s the perfect balance and in a role in which Brown appears perfectly comfortable. She also nails the physicality of the role, as she’s in constant action, whether it’s running, parkouring or fighting. Brown also boasts an emotional side we know well from “Stranger Things.” This franchise has plenty going for it, but without Brown at its center it wouldn’t work.
“Enola Holmes 2” also builds on the relationship between Enola and Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill), a bond of which its predecessor barely scratched the surface. More Cavill is always a good thing and the sequel also made a great decision to eliminate her other brother, the deplorable Mycroft Holmes portrayed by Sam Claflin. His vitriol toward Enola in the first film proved uncomfortable.
The original wanted to focus more on Enola, so Cavill was a little restrained. The sequel unleashes him in a true supporting role and his chemistry with Brown is immediate. The two clash like believable siblings, while they clearly care for each other. The audience also gets to see his vulnerable side as he struggles to figure out a case, and he joins the action as Cavill is a capable fighter. The audience also gets to see an intoxicated Cavill, who is good for a few laughs.
Besides those two, the sequel expands on its already diverse cast, as the franchise continues to champion inclusion. The first film’s main themes were female empowerment and learning to fend for yourself. The sequel seamlessly expands on that by showing that friends can make your one voice stronger. It makes for great character development and powerful scenes.
The sequel also does a better job balancing the fun with the serious, establishing a more consistent tone. Although the stakes were higher and more life-threatening, it fit the film better compared to its predecessor where the shift was jarring. It also has strong dialogue and a relentless pace that keeps the audience engaged.
It also does an incredible job balancing its numerous great characters from the first film, while giving its new characters time to shine. Helena Bonham Carter (Eudoria Holmes) and Susan Wokoma (Edith) return for a thrilling chase scene. Louis Partridge (Tewkesbury) returns as the believable love interest to Enola whose expertise complement each other. It also adds intriguing characters in Bessie Chapman (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss), Mae (Abbie Hern), Mira Troy (Shanon Duncan-Brewster), Cicely (Hannah Dodd) and Chief Inspector Grail (David Thewlis). That’s so much to balance, but they all deservedly get screen time.
The action falls off a bit from the first film. While Brown and Cavill are capable fighters, “Enola Holmes 2” utilizes more quick cuts instead of allowing the audience to see most of the action, especially in the chaotic climax when four hand-to-hand combat battles happen simultaneously. Also, while I didn’t completely figure out the mystery, the puzzle was a little too predictable.
“Enola Holmes 2” took a strong film and made it a solid franchise, bolstered by a charismatic performance by Brown. It balances its fun and energy with serious detective work and powerful themes. It continues to add strong and diverse characters while solidifying the roles that already existed. The Sherlock property has plenty of life, as does this franchise. I can’t wait for the third installment.
4 out of 5 stars
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