Glass Onion - Knives Out

The casting and performances by all were outstanding, especially Bautista and Norton, and I really liked the setting in Greece, but I feel the ending ruined what could've been a better sequel. There certainly was some creative ideas in the narrative, and even though the start was slow and tedious, it did get better when Benoit Blanc started to unravel the mystery. However, the unravelling was too as-a-matter-of-factly and too convenient in its set-up. And normally I'd be fine with that, because the few twists were a nice touch, but then right after the mystery was solved, the ridiculous antics just became too unbelievable and quite frankly, unnecessary. Still, and enjoyable one-time watch, especially if you enjoyed the first one.

I enjoyed this movie and there's nothing really wrong with it. It just isn't all that great. By the end of the movie I had a feeling who the killer was, which ended up being true. I was waiting for another twist but nope, that was it. I understand he's supposed to be the worlds greatest detective, but it just seemed too easy for him to put together.

Besides that, some of the characters are forgettable. If you compare this to a movie like Clue, where every character was interesting and brought something to the table, this falls short. Craig and Norton are excellent. I don't know why people are riding Craig for his accent. I thought it was good.

I didn't understand the whole mask pandemic thing. It's only in the beginning of the movie. I just kept thinking that it was stupid and probably won't age well. Didn't affect the plot at all so why put that in there?

Overall it's a fun movie and worth watching but don't expect too much out of it. Had a cool vibe though and enough interesting twists to keep me entertained. Not every movie has to be a masterpiece.

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.

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).

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.