Glass Onion. Un misterio de Knives Out

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.

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.

What happened?!

I am so bitterly confused!

I was looking forward to this film so much after Knives Out instantly becoming one of my all time favourites.

Did I overhype it? Were my expectations too high? Did I watch the same film as the critics?

By all means, I'm not saying this is a bad film but compared to the original, it misses rather hard. What an absolute let down.

I have no complaints about the cast, the score, the cinematography, the direction etc. It's the writing. Did Rian Johnson just forget what sort of film he was writing or something? It certainly showed a lot of promise in the first act, it definitely had me intruiged. The middle act had it's moments of twists and revelations I suppose. But the last act - what happened? What a mess. There was no pay off. It was such an unsatisfying conclusion. Honestly, it felt like they may as well have just said; "It was all a dream". It was so much off the mark which really hurts.

I'm glad to see that I guess a lot of people enjoyed it and maybe the next installment will be better. One can only hope.

A lot of great actors, and the film is well-shot, but ultimately the whole affair is just too cartoonish to enjoy on anything but a superficial level. Every character (with the possible exception of Janelle Monae's) is so broadly drawn and overacted that you can't invest in them or care what happens to them. Particularly Daniel Craig's lead. He felt like an eccentric, but brilliant, detective in Knives Out, but here he just comes off as silly. His complete inaction toward the end seems to exist only to set up the ridiculous, over-the-top ending. Also, Kathryn Hahn and Leslie Odom. Jr. Are so wasted that I don't know why they even signed on for this. Glass Onion was an okay distraction for a Netflix movie, but I would have been annoyed if I'd paid to see this in a theater.

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).