Is Knives Out 2 better? At least grander and ingenious

Author: Owen Gleiberman

Translator: Yi Ersan grand, then its sequel almost has to surpass it in a make-or-break fashion.

For a long time, each new 007 film has been more lavish, complex and stunt than its predecessor. 'The Godfather 2' was darker and even longer than 'The Godfather', 'Star Wars 2: The Empire Strikes Back' amplifies 'Star Wars' shocks, and 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' makes 'Terminator' look like A minimalist toy.

So, how did Knives Out 2 perform?

Knives Out 2


Three years ago, Rian Johnson's Knives Out was a thoughtful, lighthearted retro detective set in the mansion of a murdered mystery novelist. Not only is it reminiscent of Agatha Christie's 's narrative whimsy, but it adds a lot of beauty to the genre that Christie excels at.

When comic book movies, action movies, and other forms of kinetic fantasy seem to be in their final stages, Knives Out brings a cathartic fun that pits us against an old-school Hollywood common cinematic pattern The reunion — tight and witty dialogue, flawed characters, twists and grips — also proves that the genre still has a certain audience in the big movie theaters.


What holds it all together is Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, a southern gentleman who reinvents Hercule Poirot /Holmes detective, who His deceptive talent makes him more incredible to some audiences than any superhero.

Since "Knives Out" is a perfect pop piece, how does Johnson complete the encore? Knives Out is a daring enough thriller to borrow a Beatles song from in its title (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery), although it's not meant to refer to the Beatles ( However, the song appears in the end credits).


In fact, the title describes a spectacular onion-shaped glass chamber atop a mansion on a Greek island owned by Miles Brown (Edward Norton), an ambitious , the notorious, smug tech billionaire (like Elon Musk...).

Miles gathers five of his old friends for a three-day vacation to his private paradise, an extravagant mansion far from the prying eyes of civilization, better than the old-fashioned house in the first installment. Once the film gets to the point, most of the action takes place in a huge living room filled with small glass sculptures, furniture from postmodern designers, and pricey, conflicting artwork. (It's like a cave for the most pretentious man in the world).

opens with everyone receiving an identical-looking hardwood box at home with a series of puzzles they're going to solve, and each puzzle is connected to one another. It's a metaphor for how movies work. Compared to its predecessor, Knives Out 2 feels like a thriller wrapped in deception hidden in riddles.


Sure, it's about a murder with multiple suspects, but with detours, flashbacks, bells, and whistles along the way, not to mention that it's actually two murders in one.

zThe 20z film is set shortly after the pandemic started, so everyone who was invited was grateful to be here. ( Ethan Hawke 's assistant to Miles sprays them with throat spray, and for some reason he never shows up again). Everyone takes their place in this world by being some kind of "destroyer." Their success could not have been possible without Miles because he funded them all. But it also gave them a motive for murder.

Connecticut Governor Claire DeBella ( Katherine Hahn ) is a typical middle-class mother challenging the political machine; Duke Cody ( Dave Battista ) is A gun enthusiast and influencer, he was the first to reach a million followers on Twitch (Twitch); Bertie Jay (Kate Hudson) is a former supermodel , who capitalized on her own scandal — she was once nearly hidden for wearing a Beyonce-style Halloween costume — to run a sweatpants company.


Lionel Tucson ( Leslie Odom Jr. ) is a scientist working for Miles; Andy Brand ( Janelle Monae) was Miles' business partner, who lost everything after breaking with Miles, but was invited to the island as an apology, she agreed to come because - well, why would she agree to the invitation after being betrayed, yes The film's first puzzle.

The second puzzle is why Benoit Blanc is also on the island. He claims to have received a puzzle box as an invitation, but Myers said it was never sent to him. However, he didn't mind Blank's presence.

In other words, Miles organized a murder mystery game over the weekend in which he would be "killed," and the presence of the world's greatest detective only made the game more interesting. In the beginning, Miles took Blank into the glass room, and when the two faced off, Blank seemed a little indecisive and unwell. Is there something wrong with his mind? Hard to say.


The success of Knives Out is that, despite the ingenious double-sidedness of its reasoning, there is still a hint of sarcastic humanity hidden in it, and we see the conflicts and contradictions in each character. In "Knives Out 2", Johnson also paid attention to this point. The director and screenwriter

draws on the dazzling vibe of the 1973 film to bring us a group of characters with unmistakable ambitions. They met Miles years ago, when he was a nobody at a New York bar called Glass Onion.

"The Game of Souls"


But this time is different from the past.

Miles is now a megalomaniac with hippie style drinking kombucha and owning the guitar that Paul McCartney played when he wrote "Blackbird", he based on each guest's The aura assigns them rooms and talks about "past, present and future" in an "I own it all" attitude. As everyone gathered in that gallery-style lounge, Miles displayed his most cherished artwork. Let's just call it -- a famous painting. It's placed behind a protective glass cover that automatically closes if someone breathes too hard.

In an exaggerated scene, Blank settles before Miles announces the game is on. This is the appetizer in the video. Knives Out 2 expands into a more extravagant work than its predecessor, which is probably what audiences want, even if it feels a bit over the top at some point.

Knives Out 2


I can't spoil much here, but Andy, with her shiny, smooth blonde hair, is undoubtedly the most attractive character, and Janelle Monnae infuses her with a kind of melancholy anger, likeFlickering like a hidden candle. A flashback sequence reveals the real reason she's there, and who her secret accomplices are.

Is Knives Out 2 a better sequel than Knives Out? uncertain. But it's a bigger, cooler, and even more elaborate hoax. Craig knows exactly how to get his sly performance to sneak up on you again, while the suspect hovers in the comfort zone between unpleasant and empathetic.

"Knives Out 2"


However, for such a movie full of surprises, seeing the murderer exposed may make the audience feel a little less satisfied than before. Knives Out 2 is the first of two sequels. It gets the job done fairly well, but the next blade should be sharper.