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!

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.

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.

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.

I'm not gonna say this movie was rubbish but I get why so many people were disappointed now that I've finally seen the movie myself. First of all, I have to say I was a big fan of a knives out, i really like its subtle humor and i believe it's one of the best movies in that genre. I decided to watch glass onion expecting it to be at the same level. The movie overall was entertaining even though at first it takes a bit to create momentum. However, I have to say that the ending was kinda illogical, silly, and not as clever as I expected it to be. I was let down at the end of the movie but still enjoyed it. Well, I guess I will be waiting for the 3rd one.