Glass Onion

I really enjoyed Knives Out and was looking forward to the sequel with much anticipation ever since it was announced. I was, however, disappointed.

With Glass Onion, director and writer Rian Johnson shows once again that he can carefully craft an intriguing story with brilliant direction. But with a bigger budget comes many challenges and unfortunately the movie fails when it is trying too be too extravagant and a spectacle for the viewers.

The core story is very interesting and after a dull start, the middle of the film really hits it's stride with Johnson moving his playing pieces about with ease and wonderment. That was when i most enjoyed the movie.

But the ending was ultimately disappointing. Childish humour and some sequences that were clearly for spectacle which i can only describe as 'throwing a tantrum' ruined this movie for me.

I had some fun with this but was left feeling robbed as there was definitely a compelling enough story here for this to be another great movie. I do feel the more intimate character/story driven moments in this film are where it shines and not in the big budget set pieces.

Watch this if you enjoy the genre, but please lower your expectations before doing so!

Watching on the big screen, at its best this would be a solid 8+/10 movie, but there are a few areas that let it down.

First is the excessive lockdown/mask/Zoom scenes at the start of the film. This was never good comedic or dramatic material in the first place, and has already aged badly.

Second is a somewhat over-the-top finale which aims for spectacular but ends up a bit silly - and that isn't where a murder-mystery should be. Less is more.

But the greatest problem is the decision to re-tell the whole story from a different perspective half-way through. After carefully building the tension so that darkness falls with a murderer on the loose... the audience is taken back to the start again. It completely ruins the momentum of the film. Granted, this does allow the reveal to be even more complicated, but it also greatly reduces the wow-factor of Benoit Blanc's deduction. The genius detective solving the case is the fulcrum of this kind of movie and shouldn't be diminished.

Production values are high, and the supporting cast are good, although some have fairly slender roles. Kate Hudson is superb as Birdie.

In conclusion, I'm pleased to see Blanc back. Daniel Craig brought more eccentricity to the character this time around, but I liked it. A modern-day Poirot. I'd happily see a series of his adventures on the big screen. Just return to a more traditional murder-mystery structure (please).

I really wanted to like this, but the direction was lacklustre. When you have a very complicated plot, then editing, pacing and direction are critical. This is not nearly as much fun as the first Knives Out, and the dialogue is strained. The players try very hard, but it's all a jumble of dialogue and information with no time to enjoy the puzzle. It might be better second time around, so I will watch on tv in a couple of months.

In particular, Daniel Craig's southern gentleman detective is far too noisy, bumbling, and silly. Most of the other characters are almost clichés. The whole movie looks rushed into production, a desperate attempt to make up for losses during COVID.

Too bad. Perhaps a "directors cut" might be better.

The long-awaited sequel to Knives Out is here, and although it's still a good time, it feels like a let down overall.

The first film told such a unique and superb mystery that wrapped layers upon layers on top of each other. Meanwhile, Glass Onion tells a story that feels incredibly basic in comparison.

The main problem with this film is that although it's a mystery film, it doesn't give you the tools to solve the mystery. Instead the film walks through the plot and witholds infomation to have big reveals, rather than giving you the clues to work it out yourself.

Daniel Craig was fun the the cast was good overall, with Ed Norton being a big standout. Some characters felt wasted sadly.

Overall, a fun but underwhelming time.

I liked the first Knives Out a lot because it felt like a warm homage to all those Agatha Christie novels that I like (books and movies): it got an interesting case and setting, a well playing cast, a fine production. Glass Onion is a little different - the story/crime is for sure not that interesting or complex and there is a far stronger emphasis on comedy. One could dare to say that Glass Onion is more of a parody than a "real" crime case. The first movie got a straight 8, this one, did entertain me too (despite some lengthy parts) - but compared to the first movie, Glass Onion is for sure a big step in the wrong direction (for my taste) - it reminds me a lot of those mediocre attempts of Kenneth Brannagh's to revive Hercule Poirot. Also I do not like the ending at all, too a certain degree it is just a stupid one. Hopefully, the next one focuses again more on a complex crime case and its build up and last but not least, a real interesting and surprising ending like the first one got.