Enola Holmes

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...

I agree with one of the people who posted here. People very often view a film not for what it is, but what they either think it should be or want it to be. As the poster pointed out, this isn't a Quentin Tarantino film. It's well-done family entertainment about the adventures of a young woman, Enola Holmes, as she sets out to find her missing mother.

She's Sherlock's sister, and Sherlock and Mycroft appear in the form of Henry Cavill and Sam Clafin. I did not feel they registered much. The real star is Millie Bobby Brown as Enola. Her mother is played by Helena Bonham-Carter. Frances de la Tour, Louis Partridge, and Fiona Shaw make up a very good cast.

The film has wonderful production values, and I wonder if there are plans for future adventures of Enola. The film is really for teenaged women, and it's a lot of fun, with its emphasis on creative imagination and girl power.

People may tune in because of the Sherlock connection, but it's not really about him. It's about his sister. Amazing how that family keeps growing.

Enola Holmes is absolutely wonderful, quirky and charming. You'll absolutely love it, unless you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, then it quickly looses its charms. They basically change every character completely to fit the story, rendering them unrecognisable. But, it's made for young teen girls and they will love it. I should also add, that Henry Cavill is one of the worst Sherlock Holmes, I've ever seen. I genuinely like him as an actor, but in this case I think he was terribly miscast.

If you love Sherlock Holmes, you won't love this... but if you don't care about Holmes you'll have a great time.

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.