Enola Holmes

The acting was very well done and charming. There were a lot of good moments and some beautiful shots. Millie Bobby Brown is solid in her role. Also, the fight scenes were well executed. The supporting cast was largely excellent. But, the writing came up short. The beginning was one long voiceover and rather dull. Enola's looks at the camera were fun but too much of the story was told that way. They violated the "show, don't tell' tenet of all good fiction. Also, if you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, you might be somewhat turned off by this movie. If you're Millie Bobby Brown fan though, you'll probably love it. I still like her character in this - it was good to see her have an opportunity to play someone so different from Eleven on Stranger Things.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. All of my preconceived notions of this movie were tossed out from the start. I'm so glad she's not a Mary Sue, with her flaws. 16 year olds weren't here children at the turn of the 20th century, so it's refreshing to showcase this. At the same time, they made an error, in my opinion. They made mention of the Ritz hotel, but it wasn't opened until 1906. Otherwise, everybody did a good job. Breaking the 4th wall was a nice touch as well.

This is the movie I wish I had at 15. This isn't about Sherlock Holmes. It's not about solving a mystery or surprising the audience. It's about a teenage girl finding out who she is. It was charming, funny, wonderfully acted, aesthetically pleasing, and sweet. If you are a grown man criticizing it, Back off. This wasn't made for you. Or me. This was made for 15 yro girls. And the fifteen year old girl in me LOVED it.

This movie was a lot of fun... I'm a fan of the action packed Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes films, and this felt a lot like a PG-13 version of those films... It's rated M for the action sequences, which were well done, but definitely had that PG feel to it. The production design, acting, soundtrack, and pacing of the story were all very good... I would have scripted the final 15 minutes differently, but it still worked in the scheme of the plot and the motivations of the main characters. Millie Bobby Brown is a great young actor and is again the corner stone of this film. A new take on a classic, just enjoy it for what we enjoy films for... A fun, engaging story...

This film stirred up a lot of drama on release and got a bad reputation for it. Much of the noise centered on the historical reimagining that the filmmakers reveled in, which many reviewers took offense to, while another factor that offended viewers was Cavill's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes as both polite and all-too fallible. Both of these issues are unfounded.

The first is unfounded because Enola Holmes in no way presents itself as historical fiction. It's a comedy-adventure film based on a series of stories about a fictional detective. Expecting accuracy here is like expecting it from The Death of Stalin. The second is unfounded because, put simply, this isn't really a Sherlock Holmes film, and were Sherlock as preternaturally intelligent as he is in Doyle's stories, he'd completely overshadow the lead (which is generally not a good thing.)

Visually, the film looks great, with beautiful sets and locations, and a wonderful array of period costumes. Brown's performance really carries the film, especially in the more lighthearted moments. The other cast members were also impressive, though I did find the acting somewhat stilted during the film's exposition-heavy "serious" scenes.

This film's issues mainly stem from its overreliance on expository dialogue. It forcibly leads viewers around by the nose, treating its audience like fools all while being about as predictable as the key change in a pop song. While the 4th wall shenanigans are occasionally funny, they start to slip into the Dorra-esc in the film's back half, and I found them mostly distracting overall. The story is oddly paced and somehow overcomplicated while also being remarkable simple, so, unfortunately, the best way to watch Enola Holmes is with one's brain set to low - which isn't a great sign for a detective story.

Nonetheless, Enola Holmes is two hours worth of lighthearted adventure that many people seem to have taken way, way too seriously. It is not a Sherlock Holmes story. It isn't even much of a mystery. It's a teen adventure film and should be treated as such. If that's what you're in the market for, Enola Holmes is worth the watch, being a good-quality example of the genre. If you're looking for a proper detective flick, I'd consider looking elsewhere.