Enola Holmes

Cute family entertainment where I initially predicted a max of 50% and lo and behold Netflix has another positively received film. Millie Bobby Brown is a great young actress who has already shown her talent in Stranger Things and she only confirms it here. There's not much action here, it's more of a drama with nice production design and a nice period London. Enjoyed it, but it's targeted more for a younger audience. Story***, Action**, Humor**, Violence>No, Entertainment****, Music***, Visual****, Atmosphere***, Suspense**. 6/10. (09/24/2020)

If it weren't for the irritatingly boring and unnecessarily drawn out exposition, this would almost be a full 3 stars. The final impression is more like a 2 and a half stars. Millie Bobby Brown is quite distinctive though, and outshines both Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter in terms of acting. Overall, this is an interesting would-be extension of the global "Sherlock universe", in which the sister of the famous detective shows a fair amount of wit and general intellect. Moreover, Enola is seen here as a relatively empathetic and almost morally benign personality, something that is often problematic with Sherlock himself. I enjoyed the creative intent of inserting a purely female character into an already existing literary-filmic world of strong male characters to compete for the viewer's attention and, in a somewhat "Dickinsonian" way, show defiance. But if you are expecting a "Sherlockian" detective story, you will be disappointed. Enola Holmes is typical Netfix consumer material, with no special surprises apart from the story itself. (10/19/2020)

Where exactly did Enola come from? I almost feel like it is some kind of a weapon of contemporary feminists and a statement that every Sherlock has his own Enola. It nicely reacts to one episode of Red Dwarf in which William Shakespeare was made into Wilma Shakespeare. And that joke is more than 20 years old. Moreover it is a pity that this movie isn’t at least funny. Millie is surely great and she enjoys her role a lot. That shouldn’t come as a surprise given that she financed it herself as probably the youngest Hollywood producer of today at the age of 16. But she should have left out the sarcastic comments addressed directly to the camera. After watching the movie I couldn’t figure out what it was all about. So at the end of the day my expectation wasn’t fulfilled and Netflix disappoints me once again. (09/27/2020)

A playful and a smart-mouthed mixture of a child's (or girl's, if you want) adventure/emancipation in the world of grown-ups and basic Holmes proprieties all in one package for the whole family. And everyone involved is obviously enjoying it. Enola's character sometimes flirts with too much “Mary Sue style", but never to the point of being annoying and definitely no more than Sherlock did himself in his time. So at least it stays in the family. It does not reach the quality of Young Sherlock Holmes, but it is cut from the same cloth. The most detrimental thing is the unnecessarily long running time, during which the three main storylines will never be connected. And so the first, second and third are resolved independently. However, not together, but at the expense of the other storylines. Overall, however, this treat is so tasty that there should be more of it in the future. I will at least taste it again. (09/23/2020)

I am delighted that the excitement promised by the trailer, the images, and Millie Bobby Brown herself is abundant. There is always something happening, someone is being pursued, or something is exploding, although it is not always clear what or why. The famous last name is rightfully in the title and often reminds one of Robert Downey's portrayal of the most famous detective. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm and almost Potter-like atmosphere begin and end. The motivation of anyone except Enola herself, whether it is completely minor characters or unfortunately even members of the Holmes family, can be summed up in one sentence. And that is either the loss of the screenwriter or more likely the adaptation itself. Despite clear disappointment, it may still be a series from which I take at least energy and good feelings, but the original potential was headed somewhere else. (08/06/2021)