(Photo Credit: Netflix)
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(“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” trailer via Netflix)
R&B group Shalamar once said the second time around is better than the first time.
While that may not be true for “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” the second time is definitely not worse than the first time.
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is a clever and quirky sequel that equals “Knives Out” in its greatness.
Nevertheless, the friend group in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” might seem like an odd bunch at first glance.
However, there is something about day one friends.
They often have each other’s back for better or worse.
But in the back of many people’s minds is if one of their friend’s gets on and blows up, then hopefully that person will take the entire crew along for the ride.
In hip-hop, Eminem brought his groupmates D12 along for the ride when he reached superstardom.
In sports, LeBron James brought his childhood friends with him when he joined the National Basketball Association, partnering with them on business ventures.
So, when Miles Bron (Edward Norton) in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” blows up with his tech company and becomes a billionaire, he does not forget about his day one friends.
In “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” Miles helps Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn) in her political career.
Additionally, Miles helps Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) in his online and social media career.
Furthermore, in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” Miles assists Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) in her fashion and modeling career.
Moreover, Miles employs his friend Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.) at his tech company, Alpha.
Although the clique is a unique bunch to say the least, Miles remains friends with his buddies that he calls the Disruptors because they push the boundaries in their careers, refusing to settle for the status quo.
Therefore, when Miles disrupts his friends’ plans and invites them to a vacation at his private island in Greece, it is not hard to get the Disruptors together for a few days of chilling and mystery.
But in typical Miles fashion, he just does not simply send a normal invitation in the mail.
In “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” he sends the invitation via a mystery box that requires some thought to even get to the actual invitation.
While other Disruptors solve the puzzle through thought, Andi Brand (Janelle Monae) just takes a hammer to the box to get to the invitation.
But once the initiations are accepted in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” the party commences.
However, this will not be just any party.
In “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” Miles tells them that along with getting together to fellowship, the Disruptors will also have to solve Miles’ murder while they are on the Greek island.
What?
Isn’t Miles alive if he sent out the invitations?
Or does he know that someone is aiming to kill him, and he just wants his closest friends there so the assailant does not get away scot-free?
But when the Disruptors arrive in Greece, they are not the only ones that show up for the vacation.
Duke has brought his girlfriend Whiskey (Madeline Kline) to the excursion.
That is to be expected.
Furthermore, no one is that surprised when Birdie Jay’s assistant and publicist Peg (Jessica Henwick) joins the Disruptors, especially since Birdie Jay is known to say and do stupid things that threaten to destroy her brand.
Therefore, having Peg there to keep Birdie Jay in check is probably a great decision.
But why is Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) at Miles’ island when Miles does not know him, and the rest of the Disruptors do not know him either?
Sure, all the Disruptors know of Benoit’s reputation as being the world’s greatest detective.
Benoit is famous, so he is not a total stranger, perhaps.
But why did he get an invitation if Miles, or the Disruptors, have never met him personally?
The only logic is that since the Disruptors will be solving Miles’ murder, then it would be beneficial to have an expert on the case.
Regardless, Miles should not have anything to worry about.
Maybe having a detective at his home will prevent anything from happening to him even though his friends have joined him under the pretext of solving his murder.
But who would even think about harming someone that became successful and brought his friends along for the ride?
Who knows.
But everyone, including the great Miles Bron, has enemies even if they do not know it.
While “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is more predictable than “Knives Out” in some ways, it definitely is not totally predictable.
In “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” plot twists come out of nowhere, turning the whodunit on its head multiple times.
The writing is humorous just like in its predecessor.
And the performances are top notch from top to bottom.
Every actor in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” pulls their weight.
And Monae pulls her weight doubly.
Amusingly, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” features cameo appearances by legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Serena Williams, Hugh Grant and the late, great Angela Lansbury.
Unfortunately, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” spends a little too much time at the beginning of the movie showing what each Disruptor does for a living.
Those scenes could have been excluded because their professions get mentioned when they all convene at the island in Greece.
Nevertheless, that one snafu does not deter from the greatness that is the second installment of the “Knives Out” franchise, which equals the ingenuity of the first.
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” will run theatrically for one week beginning Nov. 23.
The movie will stream on Netflix beginning Dec. 23.
For more information on “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” click here.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
