Director Rian Johnson has been doing big lately, becoming a household name thanks to his work on projects like Star Wars: The Last Jedi Yes knives out. The Last Whodunnit was a smash hit that launched a bona fide franchise starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. The first sequel comes in the form of glass onionwith the reviews starting to roll in. Here’s what critics have been thinking of Craig and Johnson’s latest mystery.
The first knives out the film had an outstanding cast, and Rian Johnson does the same with Crystal Onion: a mystery at loggerheads. Daniel Craig returns once again as Benoit Blanc, alongside Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn and Dave Bautista. Critical response for this sequel was somewhat mixed, although 24 News Bulletin’s Mike Reyes gave it 5 stars stating:
Even trying to describe how funny this movie is seems like a disservice, because words can only go so far. Absorbing in the mystery of her and simply dizzying in his deft hand with humor, Glass Onion shows Rian Johnson nailed the sequel game in her footsteps. While he may despise the gameplay of Clue, Benoit Blanc should take comfort in the fact that this new adventure once again sparks the same kind of joy that the adaptation of the classic board game brought to the world.
As mentioned above, not all critics were equally impressed with Rian Johnson’s second attempt at the knives out franchise. Roger Ebert Christy Lemire praised herself glass onionthe performance and visuals of , but thought it was an inferior sequel. As he reflected:
Ultimately, however, the giant glass onion resting atop Miles’ mansion becomes a very apt metaphor for the film as a whole: gleaming, but empty.
club avTodd Gilchrist may disagree with this assessment, after the rental glass onion for the way he was able to innovate when the first movie came out. He even went so far as to call it a “perfect people” film that is neither a horror film nor a superhero film. In his review he A- stated,
In the best possible way, the closest cinematic analogy I can draw to the energy and charm of Glass Onion is Ocean’s Twelve, which also avoids walking in the footsteps of its predecessor, and is also so energetic and entertaining that viewers feel lucky to be invited to the VIP section with movie stars partying there.
Given that glass onion is the first sequel to Rian Johnson’s fledgling franchise, no doubt there will be plenty of comparisons to the film that started it all: knives out. Although the cast, setting and story are different, USA Today (opens in a new tab)Brian Truitt of says the original is far superior. As he writes in his review:
The thing is, the first Knives Out cuts differently. Evil Chris Evans in a knit sweater helped, of course, but it was a breath of fresh air in so many ways. The characters intertwined and fit together better, and there was an intimate intimacy throughout. The sequel starts off as a smash hit and contains some stunning revelations that leave you wondering what’s really going on, but falter as we approach the climactic third act.
But in juxtaposition, some critics have argued that glass onionn is an even better film than Rian Johnson’s 2019 original. Lindsey Bahr of the Associated Press actually thought it was funnier and bigger than knives out, which could mean big things for the future of Johnson’s franchise. As she said
As the title suggests, there are layers and layers to this mystery – even the central murder isn’t revealed until late in the film, when Johnson rewinds and reframes much of what we’ve just seen. And it’s bigger, wilder and more fun than its predecessor.
Of course, it remains to be seen how audiences will ultimately react glass onion. There has been a trend lately with movies having a disparity in critical response versus audience reaction. Example: Rotten Tomatoes scores for black adam. I also have to wonder what is the answer to the knives out The sequel may vary depending on when and how you watch it. The film will hit theaters first, before heading to Netflix. And as such, there’s a big chance of spoilers.
Crystal Onion: a mystery at loggerheads hits theaters Nov. 23, before arriving on Netflix Dec. 23. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your New Year’s movie releases.
Source: Cinemablend
