Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

A stylish whodunit mystery genre film, which is an order of magnitude better than those unwatchable Poirot chick flicks. I slept through the first one in the cinema, so I wasn't too interested, this was a bit more entertaining, but still not my cup of tea. Rian Johnson never deserves 4 stars from me. What I liked most was the attractive setting of the island itself, which looks nice, it's all fancy and I dig that. Of the actors, Daniel Craig again reigns supreme, and Janelle Monáe, for whom I have a soft spot, is likeable. I was expecting comic relief from Dave Bautista, unfortunately that didn't happen and Edward Norton is just alright. It's nicely filmed, well acted and the mystery itself seems intelligent, though this time I found it too predictable (the ending of the first part was better). I didn't find it very funny, there are no gags and the 140-minute running time is unnecessarily long, considering it is just a conversation piece. I got through it without much distress, which is appreciated given the genre. There's nothing like Korean and Nordic mysteries. 65% (12/25/2022)

Satisfaction. It’s not a gem of whodunits and it doesn’t give the viewers a literal conclusion like the first Knives Out. The problem is the messy ending, when things get quite anarchic. On the other hand, I've rarely been so immersed in a film this year that I've tried to get to the bottom of it – which I didn't, thumbs up for some of the twists and turns. In short, Glass Onion works as a completely immersive whodunit and will keep you entertained. And thumbs up also for the very imaginative and substantial cameo roles, two of which sound very, very rare in the current context. (12/30/2022)

I never would have thought that Daniel Craig, after finishing his iconic role as James Bond, would find a franchise that suits him so well. But his character, the eccentric detective Benoit Blanc, along with the fresh directorial vision of Rian Johnson, is truly impressive. Compared to the first installment, everything is even more spectacular; just moving to a sunny island in the Aegean Sea has been a boon for the series. The performances are absolutely perfect, and I fell in love with every character (Edward Norton probably takes the lead :D). The screenplay is incredibly well-thought-out, the audiovisual aspects are flawless (with an excellent soundtrack), and the brilliant ending leaves you anything but indifferent. So, what could I possibly criticize? Perhaps just the excessive number of pop culture references and allusions. Even for me, there were too many (though Jeremy Renner’s spicy sauce joke was amusing). I need a third installment right now. In the realm of classic detective stories, this feels like a revelation. I give it 8.5/10. (02/15/2023)

I thoroughly enjoyed the first Knives Out because of the well-written story, great atmosphere, and Ana de Armas. This time, however, I was mainly faced with excessive running time, long, unnecessary explanations, and left-wing propaganda (and I'm not exactly wealthy capitalist myself). Plus, the finale played into the hands of all those crazy activists smearing mashed potatoes on works of art in galleries. This activity will soon solve all our planet's environmental problems. The main problem with the film was that it contained occasional moments that amused me, but desperately few for a movie with a running time longer than two hours. I'm not sure if Daniel Craig and Edward Norton portrayed characters influenced by COVID so well or if they were just tired. Most of the characters (if not all) lacked depth; the plot was sometimes boring and occasionally even irritating, so I'm obviously not impressed. / Lesson learned: An idiot in charge is not an unusual phenomenon. 3*-. (01/17/2023)

Rian Johnson is boss! Glass Onion successfully continues to revive the rules of the old school of detective fiction, and Daniel Craig is still enjoying Benoît Blanc immensely. Naturally, you expect a moment of surprise and therefore anticipate some of the betrayals. The cast is interesting, but it’s certainly not as good as in the first film. Edward Norton revels in these roles and Kate Hudson is entertaining, the others rather support the well-written script. The Greek island setting, enlivened by hig-tech gimmicks and amenities (the non-smoking garden) and artwork, is as impressive as the Glass Onion itself. (12/25/2022)