The darling, charmful and a bit outlandish sister of Sherlock Holmes is back again in “Enola Holmes 2,” the much-anticipated sequel of its former released in September 2020. Starring Millie Bobby Brown as Enola and Henry Cavill as Sherlock, this film brings many well-recognized names to the table, drawing the attention of various audiences. But did it live up to its anticipation?
The first “Enola Holmes” film, where Enola navigates through unexpected troubles after the sudden disappearance of her mother and forms an adventitious friendship with Viscount Tewkesbury (now a Lord in the House of Lords), made Enola’s passion for detective work evident to audiences, similar in nature – though Enola is a bit more chaotic – to her older brother, Sherlock Holmes. “Enola Holmes 2” showcases the development of this passion, starting off with Enola setting up her own detective agency (made up solely of her). Her first case surrounds the disappearance of a young woman working in a matchstick factory, though it clearly became much more complicated than that.
Fortunately for the viewers tuning in for Henry Cavill, his role in this film is much more prominent than in the previous one. Sherlock finds himself bewildered by his own case surrounding missing money, tracing the funds from bank to bank with no luck. His frustrated confusion is made clear when he acts completely out of character in comparison to his usually calm and critical demeanor, ending up drunk with his younger sister hoisting him up the stairs to his apartment.
This film had similar themes to its former, such as Enola frequently breaking the fourth wall by speaking to the audience. Though this may be beneficial in other films, it did not do this one much justice. It simply slowed the film down, causing the otherwise great conclusion to be rushed. The comedy, or at least the attempt of it, in this film also made it drag a little bit, tempting viewers to skip through certain parts to reach the more thrilling scenes.
The action, however, seemed to make up for the drag. The fight scenes and impeccable plans devised by numerous characters in the film left viewers surprised. Finding the real culprit at the end – though usually predictable – was genuinely unexpected in this case. However, this also meant that there was not much development of that character, leaving viewers to just assume they were a side role for the majority of the film.
Despite the young-adult genre of this film, it managed to capture the true story of the “matchstick women,” bringing to light this important piece of history while highlighting how deep-rooted issues are when tied together with politics. This also allowed the film to better incorporate the theme of feminism in comparison to the first “Enola Holmes,” where “girl-power” seemed to be thrown in whenever possible.
Though it did have its weak points, “Enola Holmes 2” managed to tie in various genres in an inspirational yet chaotic story of a budding detective. Given the fact that audiences eagerly awaited its release for over two years, it can very well be said that “Enola Holmes 2” did quench the anticipation of viewers. With the growth of its characters, the development of the story and the overall incorporation of important themes, “Enola Holmes 2” is most definitely worth the watch for fans of the first film. For others, give it a try – it could be your cup of tea!
Rating: 3.5/5
Featured photo courtesy of @netflix on Instagram
