Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Glass Onion review says that if you liked director Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, you’ll love his followup—it’s more fun than the first!

The only thing awkward about Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is the official title. Once you get past it, the film flows fabulously, flaunting fun, frolic, fashion and flash at every turn.

There are few franchises where the sequel exceeds the original, but director Rian Johnson (Knives Out, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Looper) seems to be getting better with franchise age. Glass Onion is glitzier, more glamorous, and, dare I see it, more clever, than its predecessor.

And it seems that Daniel Craig has become more comfortable shedding his starchy James Bond persona and embracing the new, deceitfully clever southern fried detective role as Benoit Blanc. He’s also more comfortable with the accent.

The many layered plot involves a desparate group of friends gathering at the luxe Greek island estate of tech titan Myles Bron (Edward Norton). This group, consisting of Myles’ former business partner (Janelle Monae), a successful politician (Kathryn Hahn), a genius scientist (Leslie Odom Jr), a former model and current fashion designer (Kate Hudson), her assistant Peg, an ersatz influencer (Dave Bautista) and his dubious girlfriend (Madelyn Cline).

This cunningly cast crowd has gathered for a murder mystery party that soon becomes all too real. Part of the mystery surrounds the circumstances under which Blanc has been invited. No one seems to know, including Blanc himself, although you can still count on things never being the way they seem with him.

It’s impossible not to be tickled by this film, and even the most avid murder mystery fans probably won’t be able to decipher its many puzzles.

What even the least calculating among us will be able to figure out is that Glass Onion is just unmitigated fun, a delight from start to finish.

Rated PG-13

2 Hours 19 Minutes

If this Glass Onion review encourages you to sally forth to the cineplex, get local times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Glass Onion review says that if you liked director Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, you’ll love his followup — it’s more fun than the first!