GETTING REEL “Knives” not Needed for “Onion”

by Amy Barnes

Movie: “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”

Seen: home, Netflix

Rating (out of 5 possible):

The first and most important thing to know about “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is that it is absolutely unnecessary to have seen “Knives Out” in order to follow “Glass Onion.”

One storyline has nothing to do with the other. The only carryover from “Knives Out” was the detective, Benoit Blanc, portrayed by Daniel Craig.

While the first movie had some interesting twists and turns, I just cannot seem to generate much enthusiasm for “Glass Onion.”

In “Knives Out,” it seemed an incredible waste of talent to have Craig playing Blanc, and that carries through to “Glass Onion.”

Craig very well may be enjoying playing a much simpler character who moves at a slower pace than the James Bond character he is known for, but it keeps seeming like a racehorse pulling a plow. It can be done but why would you want to?

Without question, the truly standout performance in “Onion” is by Janelle Monae who has more class and presence in this film than all of the other characters combined. There is not much that can be said about her role without giving away much of the film. She makes the movie worth watching.

The opening of the movie has characters donning masks, then being treated with a throat spray which makes masking unnecessary. It gives the movie a staleness and a feeling that the original plan was for it to be released in the middle of the pandemic.

When it was released to theaters on November 23, 2022, it was there for only a week before being moved to at-home streaming. While that was planned, it did not give moviegoers much of a chance to catch it on the big screen and clipped revenues before they really had a chance to bloom.

Do not expect any great brain exercise here or unique characters. Even the characters compare the movie to a game of Clue, and, with the exception of Monae, actors and actresses delivered their lines with little to no authenticity. While the ending was rather predictable, it still was an enjoyable movie that makes for a lightweight date night movie or family movie night. The movie is rated PG-13 for sexual material, violence, drug content, and strong language.

If planning to view the movie with younger kids, be aware that there are a couple of people walking around with fake blood on their torsos and a clothed couple romping in bed. Word is that there is going to be a third movie in the series. Let us hope the acting is more fluid and believable.

Movie Time Box

How long is the movie?

93 minutes = 1 hour, 33 minutes

102 minutes = 1 hour, 42 minutes

106 minutes = 1 hour, 46 minutes

111 minutes = 1 hour, 51 minutes

126 minutes = 2 hours, 6 minutes

135 minutes = 2 hours, 9 minutes

161 minutes = 2 hours, 41 minutes

189 minutes = 3 hours, 9 minutes