Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Anya Taylor-Joy, James McAvoy, Sarah Paulson, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Written by: M. Night Shyamalan
Run Time: 2hrs, 9 min
Rated: PG-13
First and foremost, see Glass for yourself. My opinion is my own and everything that I carry after 19 years of waiting for this film.
Is it worth it? Yes. Was it worth the wait? Yes. Will you be completely satisfied. No.
!!!!Spoiler Free Review!!!!
After 19 years of writer/ director M. Night Shyamalan dodging “the” question and crafting 8 other films, the final installment of the Unbreakable Trilogy has arrived. If you are unaware that his 2016 film, Split, was an unofficial/ official sequel, then you have some watching to do. I'll assume that you have seen 2000's Unbreakable and 2016's Split and move on.
We find David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and his son, Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark), hunting "The Horde" (James McAvoy) in Philadelphia. Again, "The Horde" (aka Kevin Crumb) has abducted several young women. We get a fast update on the life that David and Joseph have created for themselves as heroes (vigilantes in the eyes of the law). Obviously, Joseph is the man in the van feeding his father pertinent information. Upon meeting "The Horde" we see David and Kevin clash in a battle of two extremely gifted individuals. It ends with both being incarcerated and taken away to a mental institution. It is there that they meet Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) who, along with the resident inmate known as Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson), wants to analyze and cure them of why they think they are superheroes/superhuman.
Glass moves in different avenues from what one might expect. Yet, that is its greatest strength. It is different from what we have been accustomed to with all the superhero films we have had as of late. Do we want to 30 to 40 minutes of Tony Stark's issues as seen in Iron Man 3? Most fans said no, however, there lies the heart of the character and everything that motivates him. Here we see Dr. Ellie Staple break down David and Kevin's extraordinary abilities into coincidence and chance. They are just that lucky or have been up to this point. This creates doubt in their minds. I quickly found myself doubting Dr. Ellie Staple's motivations and reasoning. Did I believe her? No. What is important is that David and Kevin do, and they begin to question themselves as well.
It should be expected that there are schemes at work in Glass. Samuel L. Jackson gives one of his best performances by delivering a subtle and chilling portrayal of Elijah Price. James McAvoy will, again, astound you as he switches through each of his character’s personalities. What is lacking is time with Bruce Willis' David Dunn. An argument could be made that Unbreakable was his story and Glass reveals that he has fulfilled his need to be that hero living his life to its potential, but I wanted to know and see more about David. The flip side is that this is a movie about bad guys teaming up. The focus is on "The Horde" and Mr. Glass. “The Horde” has new layers revealed to him, with Casey Cooke (Anya Taylor-Joy) reentering the fray. Mr. Glass and his theories from the first film are also fully realized and this is where some fans will feel unsatisfied by the conclusion.
There is a twist, but not one that we normally can expect from M. Night Shyamalan. In fact, there are several twists, but in the realm of comic books and superheroes, a true fan will see them coming. I know I need to see Glass again. Like the recent Star Wars films, there was so much to take in that my focus was on the story progression, giving me little time to witness the nuances and layers that I know are there. I had 19 years to live with and love Unbreakable. I need to see and sit with Glass some more. As a one time viewing, I enjoyed the hell out of it and cannot wait to see what new stories M. Night Shyamalan will craft next. #AFJ4LIFE