ENOLA HOLMES 3 -- Where's Sherlock?

Review by Steve Barton II

Sherlock Holmes may be one of the most popular literary characters spawning several interpretations since its inception in 1887. Over the years, it’s rare that there aren’t multiple projects running simultaneously including Sherlock, Watson and the cavalcade of characters they bring. With the property being in the public domain since 2000, it’s had some highs with BBC’s Sherlock series and Guy Ritchie’s films, but there have also been countless others in varying quality. Netflix got their hands on a fresh, new reimagining of Sherlock’s story centered around his younger sister Enola Holmes in 2020 after Warner Brothers passed on it. Since then, Netflix has produced a sequel in 2022 and now Enola Holmes 3 graces the screens in her newest adventure. In Enola Holmes 3, Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) is getting married to her boyfriend Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) in Malta, but her brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill) goes missing and she’s thrusted into a new investigation.

The first compliment due to the team behind Enola Holmes 3 is shortening up the runtime to under two hours. With the previous two, the bloated length severely reduced the fun and humor in the movie. Enola Holmes as a character is always fun to experience for a bit, but she overstays her welcome when she constantly stares into the camera and slows down the pace. Unfortunately, even with a shorter runtime with Enola Holmes 3 still suffers similar pacing issues. While the action looks better than before and the on-location filming builds the epic scale, the story is lackluster and rehashing. If you’re looking for more Sherlock and Enola team-ups, you’ll have to wait until the next installment.

The cast in Enola Holmes 3 is an ensemble of epic proportions and you tell how proud they are of this fact. Millie Bobby Brown is a perfect casting for Enola’s balance of whimsy and intellect. She’s at a perfect age to portray a young woman dealing with becoming a wife and changing her identity. Her chemistry with Cavill as her ultra intelligent brother whom she occasionally works with is incredible, but they aren’t on-screen together enough. With the plot centered around Enola solving Sherlock’s disappearance, we miss the chemistry and magic that comes with it. We also miss out on the post-credit tease from Enola Holmes 2 that introduced Dr. Watson to this franchise. Luckily, we still get a great performance from Himesh Patel as Watson and a brief glimpse into he and Sherlock’s developing relationship. Rounding out the cast with the always wonderful Helena Bonham Carter as Mother Holmes and Sharon Duncan-Brewster’s Moriarty make Enola Holmes 3 a memorable adventure.

In the end, Enola Holmes 3 is a fun adventure film and a solid continuation to this popular series. Enola Holmes is a wonderful catalyst for the younger generation to become interested in literary classics like Sherlock Holmes and Millie does it well. With the quality of action sequences and sets only increasing with time, we can only imagine where Enola Holmes 4 or the rest of the series takes us. It would be an incredible idea for the spin-off series around Sherlock and Watson with Cavill and Patel at the head. The violence and subject matter can be a bit darker in Enola Holmes 3 than the previous installments, but most kids above the age of ten should be able to handle it. If going on an adventure with the wise-cracking, intelligent Enola Holmes that doesn’t move the needle too much, Enola Holmes 3 is a great way to spend an afternoon. 

Enola Holmes 3 is available on Netflix starting July 1st!

Rating: 3.5/5