Glass | Teen Ink

Glass

June 22, 2019
By MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
678 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Glass is a fantastic drama that combines together science fiction and acts as a sequel to the events of Unbreakable and Split and brings those movies into the same universe with this adventure. The movie begins with David Dunn, the man with enhanced strength and unbreakable bones, hunting down one of Kevin Wendell Crumb's personas, "The Beast." In a chain of escalating events, David soon discovers where some kidnapped girls are hidden by some of Kevin Crumb's other personas. As David does his best to rescue the girls in an abandoned factory, "The Beast" is unleashed, who is an animal-like beast that can crawl up walls. In a showoff for the ages, David throws himself in front of the girls and the two of them clash it out, putting to the test who's stronger. However, they aren't able to find out, because neither of them are prepared for when hoards of cop surround them. Due to the special lights that the cops are equipped with, "The Beast" soon retorts back and a different persona takes over, one without superhuman abilities. Because of this, they both realize they're outmatched and agree to be taken by the cops to a psychiatric research hospital, where they're attended by a psychiatrist named Dr. Ellie Staple. While there, they soon discover that Elijah Price is there as well, also known by his pseudonym Mr. Glass, and the three of them are rounded up by Ellie Staple, who informs them that she doubts that any of them are actually super, telling them that haven't done anything that extraordinary, especially considering that there's only three of them in the whole world. As all of them begin to question whether or not they are actually super, except for Mr. Glass, who is heavily sedated, Price's shadowy presence begins to emerge, and it becomes clear that he seems to have a greater plan of sorts and that he's the one pulling the strings, especially since he holds valuable information for both Kevin Crumb and David Dunn. 

 Glass is a suspenseful, dramatic thriller that knows how to please audiences. The movie may not be quite on the same level as the other two installments in the franchise, but it still proves to be an enjoyable sequel who's nuttiness shines through. The beginning of the movie seamlessly transitions the movie and reintroduces audiences to scores of characters and bringing them into the same universe. Kevin Wendell Crumb's personas meet David Dunn, and David Dunn's son has now grown up to become an adult that believes in helping his dad. The middle of the movie isn't the greatest, there are in fact a few flaws, but this portion of the movie does manage to progress the adventure along, as well as plenty of character arcs. Despite how the ending of the movie seems like it is going to end without a bang of sorts and in a somewhat lackluster manner, the actual conclusion of the movie proves to be both enticing and exhilarating and includes plenty of thrilling twists and turns that not only make the franchise, as a whole, better, but they also save the movie from having a poor execution. Instead, the movie is entertaining throughout and a mostly solid roller coaster.

 Despite all of this positivity, the one main flaw of Glass is the fact that there just feels like something is missing. It's unclear exactly why, but it is still apparent that this movie isn't as well done as the other two in the franchise. A possible explanation is that the movie just tries to do so many different things at once, and it is never easy to have characters from different movies meet one another, while also creating a plot that flows and adds new, exciting concepts. Furthermore, there are a few plot holes in the movie, which do make the movie slightly confusing in certain portions. It's unfortunate that this is the case, because the movie does have an intriguing plot that should peak audience's interests and the tension and suspense conjured in the movie is quite impressive for the most part. 
 Glass greatly benefits from a star-studded casts that shines throughout. James McAvoy gives a beyond unbelievable performance of Kevin Wendell Crumb, as well as all of the character's other personas, making his performance one to behold. Samuel L. Jackson does a fantastic job of portraying Elijah Price, who's also known as Mr. Glass, and is able to bring the mad man's personality to life, as well as his convoluted mindset. Jackson is able to bring emotion, drama and intensity to the role that is worthy of being the title of the movie. Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn and manages to once again create a fan-favorite, relatable character that will be sure to entertain audiences everywhere. Sarah Paulson does a great job of playing Dr. Ellie Staple and is able to make the character mysterious enough that audiences don't know what to expect from her. There are some other notable performances, like Anya Taylor-Joy's Casey Cooke and Spencer Treat Clark's Joseph Dunn, who's the son of David Dunn, but the main stars are the ones who are counted on most, and they certainly don't disappoint. 

 Glass manages to reinvent the superhero genre by basically being a deconstruction of it. While bringing concepts of superpowers and superheroes that are found in comic books, the movie brings these ideas into the real world, while at the same time questioning whether or not all of the characters are delusional, causing viewers to not know what to expect next. This movie may not be as well done as the other installments in the franchise, but for fans of the others, they will certainly be pleased. The movie may not be as consistent, but when it gets going, it is just as strong, if not more unstoppable, and the film is worth watching solely for the twist at the end that unites the entire franchise together cohesively. 


The author's comments:

"Everything extraordinary can be explained away, and yet it is true. I think deep down you know this. Everything we will see and do will have a basis in science, but it will have limits. This is the real world, not a cartoon. And yet some of us don’t die from bullets. Some of us can still bend steel. That is not a fantasy." - Elijah Price/Mr. Glass


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