-
Acting
-
Directing
-
Story
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam ClaflinDirector: Harry Bradbeer
Running Time: 123 mins
Enola Holmes is an American film about the younger sister of famed detective Sherlock Holmes, as she flees her home to London in search of her missing mother.
Full of delightfully zippy energy as well as a pleasantly quaint style, Enola Holmes is an undeniably wonderful watch for all the family. Complete with fun interpretations of classic literary characters and a range of hugely enjoyable performances, this film will easily put a smile on your face.
There’s a lot to love about Enola Holmes, and its undying energy and zest is without doubt the very best part. Full of fun from start to finish, the movie has an effortlessly lovable zany feel to it, all the while bringing out the very best in a host of eccentric characters.
In the lead role, Millie Bobby Brown is delightful as Enola Holmes, with all the confidence and wit of her famed older brother, as well as an extra level of zippy energy that makes her an utter joy on screen throughout. At times, this film is so hectic and energetic that it feels like the delightfully eccentric French classic Zazie Dans Le Métro, also featuring a brilliant young female lead who more than stands up to her older co-stars.
Meanwhile, supporting players including Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes and Sam Claflin as Mycroft Holmes are just as entertaining, with the pair both playing up the caricatures of both literary personas, all the while working nicely with Millie Bobby Brown, who absolutely owns this movie.
With brilliant wit throughout, the movie’s cheeky sense of humour and Brown’s enjoyably precocious performance is more than enough to have viewers of all ages smiling and laughing throughout. And what’s so good about Enola Holmes is that, while it’s great fun for kids, its snappy dialogue and impressively engaging historical context makes it a captivating watch for adults too.
Set around the turn of the 20th century, the movie has all the hallmarks of a quaint period drama, with gorgeous production and costume design wherever you look. The film’s visuals make it an absolutely scrumptious watch, but it never languishes in the often pretentious realm of stuffy period dramas, always prioritising its fun-loving side.
In that, there’s something a little reminiscent of Nanny McPhee in this movie, with a delightful blend of both calming, storybook-style period drama and childlike, energetic wonder and excitement throughout.
However, where Enola Holmes does admittedly fall down is in its story. The dialogue, characters and historical setting all work brilliantly, but as far as telling a constantly entertaining adventure story goes, the movie doesn’t quite manage to deliver the goods.
It’s a fun watch without a doubt, but at over two hours long, the film does run out of ideas rather quickly given its hyperactive opening act. That’s not to say it loses the fun-loving energy that makes it such an enjoyable watch, but the movie really isn’t able to keep you engrossed in what becomes a rather simplistic adventure tale for the majority of the second half.
Although it’s a bright-eyed family movie for all to enjoy, I would have liked to see a little more complexity and intricacy in this story, with a little more of the Holmes-esque intrigue that makes those classic characters so interesting.
Overall, though, I had a lot of fun with Enola Holmes. An energetic, zany and enjoyably charismatic movie through and through, it’s so much fun to watch, not to mention a collection of brilliant performances, great dialogue and some zippy, witty humour to keep you smiling and laughing all the way through. So, that’s why I’m giving it a 7.3.
