Enola Holmes 2 Movie Review: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill anchor Netflix's accelerated detective thriller
Enola Holmes 2 Movie Review: It is not a surprise that Enola Holmes has turned out to be one of the most loved movie characters in recent times. She is sharp-witted, clumsy yet affirmative and most of all, mirrors the youth of today perfectly well. One who is confident in the self and ready to take on the world at the drop of the hat. The much-awaited sequel transports us back to Victorian-era London but, Enola Holmes 2 is the movie of today's time. A not-too-serious and fast-paced ride that does not wait for anyone to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Especially when the clever ones are doing it for us. Rather, it relies on you to sit back, buckle up and be ready for entertainment overdose. While Enola Holmes, in many ways, departs from the mystery thriller genre, by injecting the treatment with non-stop action, it does not do away with the seriousness of crime-solving. Practically, it's a new genre and a successful one too.
A relatively unknown sleuth, born in the shadow of her famous detective brother Sherlock Homes, Enola Holmes tries to find her footing in the new movie. A pressing matter is at hand and Enola must use all her faculties to save lives. In this storyline, Henry Cavill as Sherlock is also at the center of affairs. He wasn't in the first film and the sequel makes up for it. His demeanour is quite opposite to the impatient, risk-taking and wild Enola and this contrast serves the franchise very well. The Holmes siblings are constantly finding ways to be on top of each other and their chemistry is fun to watch.
There is a lot going on in the story. Many faces of villainy are seen and every turn is dangerous. This keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats throughout the runtime. Whenever the pace slows down a bit to drop in the informative bits and pieces of the story, the oncoming action block tunes up the tempo. It is safe to say that there isn't really a dull moment in the entire film. Enola Holmes 2 deals with issues of class disparity and feminism, but the larger emphasis is on entertainment. It is socially relevant but not to the point when you would mistake it for a film with an underlying message.
Enola Holmes 2 uses a mix of storytelling forms. Illustrations and animation make the narrative more engaging, dynamic and easy to follow. Millie Bobby Brown's performance is the sole highlight of the film. She is doing action and comedy perfectly well as Enola, all with an undercurrent of seriousness. This makes her presence likable at every turn. It is her film and she seems totally in charge of it. At times, she even outwits Henry Cavill as Sherlock with her charming act.
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In all fairness, if there is any detective character that fans would like more than Sherlock Holmes, it is Enola Holmes. With the sequel, Millie Bobby Brown stamps her authority in the role, and rest assured that fans would be waiting eagerly for her return in the new film, as teased in the post-credit scene.