Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

r96sk 1/1/2023 4:32:01 AM 8.4

Brilliant! My first film of 2023, which has started with a bang! I adore the original film from 2019 so was expecting big things from this sequel and I'm glad to note that it didn't disappoint - it's a cracker. I did, admittedly, predict the general gist of what was going to happen, though (in this case, minor) predictability doesn't always equel badness - like here, I was thoroughly entertained no matter what. The cast from the first film are better, though those that star in this 2022 release are excellent. Daniel Craig is, of course, superb as Benoit Blanc once again, every single moment with him is terrific. Janelle Monáe also gives a fantastic performance, I predominantly know of her from music but with this, and <em>'<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/hidden-figures/">Hidden Figures</a>'</em>, she can certainly act too. Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista and Edward Norton are the best of the others, though even the likes of Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr. and Madelyn Cline are good value as well. Like its predecessor, it's very astutely cast. The film is put together in high quality fashion, Rian Johnson & Co. did a great job - particularly with the framing of certain shots, as well as the music which is real neat. As you'd expect for a film of this sort, there are some nice little details spread across the well utilised run time. Like <em>'Knives Out'</em>, I know I'll be revisiting <em>'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'</em> when possible. It sounds like Johnson and Craig are up for making more of these, and to that I say bring it on!

Nathan 12/1/2022 7:00:49 PM 8.4

_Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery_ is a lighthearted murder mystery filled with effective comedy, fantastic performances, and a somewhat predictable plot. Overall, I had a great time with this film and the theater experience was one of my favorites of the year. The plot is somewhat similar to the first, a murder happens and Benolt Blanc is there to solve it. It hits all the familiar beats but does not work quite as well as its predecessor, this is mainly due to the characters. The performances were great and they work well in isolation from the overarching story, but all of them are such over-the-top caricatures that are hard to believe their connections or motivations to kill. Their banter with each other is charming and funny and helps carry this movie forward. The first quarter of this movie was pretty poorly done. A lot of the setup had pandemic references and humor that felt really out of place in 2022. So many movies before this have touched on those topics that it felt overdone and boring. Really interesting choice for this type of film, but once the characters get to the island all of that awkward setup is left on the mainland and the movie starts to find its footing. From this point forward, I had a great time. Daniel Craig was fantastic as Benolt Blanc and it was quite funny to see him as a fish out of water surrounded by corporate elites. The majority of the lines I laughed at were delivered by him with a dry pan sense of delivery. It was organic and played well on screen. Edward Norton was a fantastic addition and the majority of the cast did excellently. They were really funny and delivered the stereotyped character performances well. Much like the beginning of the movie, the last ten minutes did not work tremendously well for me. It was quite corny, over the top, and unrealistic. It diminishes the greatness of the middle of the film. Even though this movie fails to reach the heights of the original, it does enough to deliver a very entertaining mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is a shame that Netflix is only having a limited release for this film because it is best in a crowded theater on the silver screen. **Score:** _77%_ | **Verdict:** _Great_

Manuel São Bento 12/27/2022 4:56:00 PM 8.4

MORE SPOILER-FREE MINI-REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/mini-reviews-2022-edition/ "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery would never disappoint. Rian Johnson succeeds, once again, with his clever, witty humor and continuous entertainment throughout just over two hours of yet another whodunnit classic with tremendous replay value. The central mystery holds countless twists and turns, almost always captivating and amusing. Exceptional performances from a shockingly talented cast - Daniel Craig and Janelle Monáe are the standouts - elevate a screenplay slightly lacking in character depth as well as better control over its clear yet repetitive message concerning opportunism, vanity, and hypocrisy. Original remains supreme, but this sequel deserved a worldwide premiere on the big screen." Rating: B+