Expect a lacklustre mystery in this third instalment of the Netflix series.

The first two entries into this series were genuinely a lot of fun, if not slightly basic in their premise. Nothing has changed here, and this time, we get to see an older Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) take down yet another take on Moriarty (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) in the setting of Malta of all places!

Set to wed her on-screen boyfriend Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) in his ancestral home of Malta, Enola begins to have second thoughts, and in the midst of her brother’s kidnapping (Sherlock played by Henry Cavill), places the wedding on the furthest back-burner possible.

Ok, so you’ll read this, and in continuing to read my reveiw, you’ll think I’m bashing this film a little. I am and I make no apologies for it! That is because this film has many issues which suggest this film was nothing more than a jolly abroad for all concerned, and a project that tries to reinvent the wheel, only to find they have invented…the wheel! When I say this, I am of course referring to Moriarty being a woman. This choice did not feel like a well considered one, and I thought exactly the same when watching the TV show Elementary (Lucy Liu played Dr Joan Watson, and Natalie Dormer as Jamie Moriarty).

The acting is passable for the most part, but it just feels like Millie Bobby Brown plays the part with far less enthusiasm than the previous two entries. Stumbling from scene to scene, one minute focusing on her dear brothers kidnapping, running around the streets of Malta, to other scenes where the discovery of plot details is really dragged out to fill it’s runtime.

Don’t get me wrong, the settings are fantastic and Malta looks like a lovely place to visit, but I don’t think it serves this film well. Or is that the other way around? I’m still not sure!

As per the first two films, the 4th wall is continually broken by Enola, which was refreshing and comedic in the first entry, but seriously looses it’s appeal as the films go on. Using this as a device to propel the plot forwards and to provide Enola with comedic exposition wears thin pretty quickly.

My other issue with this film is that while it’s set in a Victorian setting, it all feels somewhat modern. I think this is down to things like the costumes, which for most of the time, feel like they’ve pulled out of a modern dressmakers shop.

Unfortunately, this film does a lot of handholding through it’s exposition, and never really tries to give you a chance to solve some clues for yourself. That, in part, is because the plot is pretty much nonsensical. The convoluted way the whole mystery is pieced together never allows for you to become truly engaged with the story, and this, is a cardinal sin when bringing anything ‘Holmes’ related to the screen, whether it’s large or small.

Henry Cavill is most certainly relegated to a cameo role rather than a supporting one, and i suspect that because he was either starting production of the new Highlander reboot, or in the midst of preparing for that role.

Helena Bonham-Carter returns as Enola’s mother, Eudoria Holmes, and while it’s always great to see Carter on-screen, her presence almost feels as if it’s been bolted on in the last re-write of the script. For me, she just felt out of place a bit and merely served to draw out the supposed mystery for a few beats longer.

Milly Bobby Brown’s comedic timing is very good, and there were a few laughs to be had here. I can say that Bobby Brown does not just act her way through the whole affair in a perfunctory fashion. She does give it her all, and it really does show. I think the poor writing let’s her down, not the other way around.

The settings are gorgeous to behold, and the lighting is on-point through out. The production design is admirable, if not for the costuming and make-up. the direction is serviceable, but ultimately bland and does nothing to bolster Philip Barantini as a bankable director. After his amazing work on Adolescence last year, I’m surprised Enola Holmes 3 didn’t shine under his stewardship.

In summation, Enola Holmes 3 isn’t a terrible film, but it does have terrible production design, and perhaps some seriously miscast roles. The script is a bit wonky at times and some character choices feel a bit ‘bolted on’ for my tastes. The chemistry between Enola and Tewkesbury is palpable, which sells the relationship very well, and ultimately it’s what saves the film from obscurity.