Glass is the grand conclusion of M. Night Shyamalan’s unexpected Eastrail 177 trilogy. Unfortunately I found out about it before I saw Split. So there was really no way to avoid the twist unless you’ve seen Split when it was brand new. When I finally did watch Split, I was curious to see the two worlds collide. Especially since Unbreakable came out 19 years ago and a sequel didn’t seem like a possibility as long as M. Night Shyamalan had a bunch of crap to get through. The title Glass definitely made it sound good. Considering Mr. Glass is the third primary character not to get a movie named after him. Plus it follows in Shyamalan’s tradition of having very literal movie titles. Then I saw the trailer, and I still think it’s one of the best trailers I’ve seen in a long time. Glass brings David Dunn (The Overseer) and Kevin Wendell Crumb (The Horde) together when “The Beast” attempts to kill a new set of teenage girls. It attracts the attention of the same institution that’s currently holding Elijah Price (Mr. Glass). Leaving all three men stuck in one place. Every other supporting character returns as well. David’s son Joseph, Kevin’s victim Casey, and Elijah’s mother Mrs. Price…
Mr. Glass (left), The Horde (center), and The Overseer (right)
I don’t often disagree with critics when it comes to Shyamalan, but I think they beat up Glass too much. It is an M. Night Shyamalan movie afterall. I expect it to be mostly talk heavy. Sarah Paulson’s character is a psychiatrist who tries to convince the three of them that they aren’t superheroes. By also exploiting their weaknesses. Exposing David to water, using lights to bring out Kevin’s other personalities, and keeping Elijah sedated. Bruce Willis is his usual half interested self. Although I did feel like it wasn’t too different than his performance in Unbreakable. This is probably the easiest money Samuel L. Jackson has ever gotten. Since he spends most of his time in a wheelchair and it takes awhile for him to talk. When he does speak, he lives up to having the movie named after him. Just as expected, James McAvoy steals the show. This time displaying every other personality that was missing in Split. Seamlessly changing from one persona to another. Even elisiting a few genuine laughs out of me. When the action does come in, it’s mostly exciting. Although the occasional comic book talk in between can make it a bit awkward. Along with Shyamalan’s, still present, unusual camera work and dialogue. The twists range from unexpected to frustrating, but I won’t say what they are. In the end, Glass was exactly what I was expecting. A part superhero, part thriller, slow building crossover of Unbreakable and Split. For me it’s enough just to see all these unique characters together in one movie.
Mr. Glass suits up
Preceded by: Unbreakable & Split
Master Mix Movies 