The reviews lean towards qualified approval, with praise clustering around the young leads and the film’s atmosphere. Nicholas Rowe’s Holmes and the Holmes–Watson pairing earn favourable notices, while the production design helps sell this imagined early adventure. The more enthusiastic responses value its affection for the Holmes stories and its willingness to make a family adventure dark. Eye for Film particularly praises Bruce Broughton’s gothic score and argues that the film deserves greater recognition.
Reservations concern familiarity, uneven action direction and how far the spectacle pulls the film away from traditional Holmes territory. Empire enjoys the hallucinatory effects but finds the direction less assured once the action begins. Variety offers the sharpest dissent, praising the young performers while finding that visual effects take priority over artistry. The spread is wide, though three entries lack accessible verdicts, limiting how confidently their positions can be described.