Review: Glass

M. Night Shyamalan's third installment in his 19 years in the making trilogy is shattering expectations at the box office, but not in the way you might think.

Howdy folks, sorry I've been away for so long. I've been a busy bee but how could I not stop and make time to review this movie? I was one of those fanboys who squealed on the inside when David Dunn showed up during the ending of 2016's "Split" and revealed that the movie was a surprise sequel to "Unbreakable" - a movie released 16 years earlier. So naturally when "Glass" was announced as the final installment in the trilogy, I was thoroughly hyped.

"Glass" picks up three weeks after the events of "Split" and finds Bruce Willis' extra strong ponchoed vigilante, David Dunn, pursing James McAvoy's superhuman serial killer Kevin Wendell Crumb, now known as "The Horde." Soon these two meta-humans end up in a psychiatric hospital and come face-to-face with Samuel L Jackson's self-appointed super-villain Mr. Glass. While I was impressed with the results, I can one-hundred percent understand why most critics are slamming it. Let's discuss.

First things first; What people need to realize is that this is the third installment in a trilogy that began in the year 2000. "Unbreakable" isn't one of Shyamalan's most critically acclaimed movies, but its deconstruction of the superhero genre and slow-burning character arcs made the film a cult hit with fans, myself included. If you're not a fan of that movie, you're not going to like "Glass" which has very similar pacing and tone. I feel like the film suffers due to the over-saturation of comic-book movies nowadays. This is not a blockbuster action movie, it's a slow-burning, character-driven, psychological thriller. Check your expectations at the door; if you haven't seen "Unbreakable" or "Split," this is gonna be a tough one for you to sit through.

The core trio of Willis, McAvoy and Jackson gives some outstanding performances throughout the film. 19 years later, Willis recaptures the quiet mannerisms and inherent goodness of David Dunn. While he seems to have the least amount of dialogue for one of the central characters, he makes it work with his body language and facial expressions. Just like back in 2000. Similarly, Jackson transforms back into Elijah Price A.K.A. Mr. Glass and provides the same gravitas and subtle genius that made him a fan favorite character all those years ago. But of course, James McAvoy steals the show once again. "Split" was a surprise hit largely due to McAvoy's ability to play a character with 24 different personalities effortlessly. The movie is worth seeing just to see how he takes the role even further than in "Split." Damn it, somebody give that man an award. It might just be the fan boy in me but seeing these three fascinating and diverse characters interact with each other was really a joy.

In addition to the core trio of main characters, there are also several returning side characters. Spencer Treat Clark and Charlayne Woodard reprise their roles from "Unbreakable" as the now-adult Joseph Dunn, and Mrs. Price. Anya Taylor-Joy also returns as Casey Cooke, the only person to survive their encounter with the Horde. Seeing all these side characters again felt natural but it did crowd the film a bit, especially with new addition Sarah Paulson bringing her acting chops to the table. Woodard, Clark and Taylor-Joy all did well with what they had but there really wasn't enough room in this movie for everyone to shine.

The core trio and their interactions with Paulson's Dr. Staple and each other are what we really care about so the side-kicks did have to fall by the wayside. That being said, they each did have their moments with their respective significant other. The scenes Taylor-Joy has with McAvoy stand out for me as favorites for having surprising emotional depth. Kudos to both of them for selling that unconventional friendship and adding weight to their interactions.

We all know that M. Night Shyamalan is one of the most controversial directors today. His films are divisive at best. And while I'll never forgive him for the abomination that is "The Last Airbender," I do see his classic creative eye at work here. The inventive camera work and unique color choices are fun to look at. It's the finely tuned work of a director that made "Unbreakable" and "Split" so compelling and surprise hits with fans. I'm a sucker for slow character flicks and that's just how the story of "Glass" unfolds. It's quite refreshing in a world of multi-million dollar superhero blockbusters. It will be too slow for a lot of folks but we spend time with each character separately and then together with the others. Writer-director Shyamalan isn't the best at subtlety and here he plays with your expectations in a way that won't sit well with everyone.

It took some thinking about, but in the end I respect his story choices. The final act of this movie is going to be hit or miss for most audiences. In true Shyamalan style, it subverts your expectations and reveals that the story you thought he was telling was really something altogether different all along. There is one twist that I could've done without, but I understand what he was going for. It's difficult to explain but I feel that Shyamalan knew exactly what kind of movie and story he wanted to tell and accomplished that goal in the exact way he wanted. I can't say much more without giving away spoilers so before seeing this movie I suggest revisiting "Split" and "Unbreakable" to reintroduce yourself to the style and tone of these characters and this Shyamalan-verse.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As the final installment in M Night Shyamalan's "Unbreakable" trilogy, "Glass" delivers another powerfully acted and thought-provoking subversion of the superhero movie that should please long-time fans, but is definitely not for everyone.

OVERALL GRADE: B-

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