Universal’s release of “Glass” is the highly anticipated third film in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Unbreakable” franchise, starring Bruce Willis, James McAvoy and Samuel L. Jackson.
The two preceding films in the franchise are 2000s “Unbreakable” and 2016’s “Split.” “Glass” is a duel sequel, combining the characters from both films.
Thursday night previews in 3,200 theaters and delivered a solid $3.7 million, well ahead of the $2 million in previews for “Split.”
“Glass” picks up about three weeks where “Split” left off and 19 years after “Unbreakable.” It begins with “Unbreakable” David Dunn (Willis) still performing vigilante acts of justice, nicknamed “The Overseer,” on the streets of Philadelphia.
Dunn, who can see inside people’s lives by simply touching them and is impenetrable and unable to die - except by water - is on the trail of Kevin Wendell Crumb (McAvoy), the 24-personalities character, nicknamed “The Horde,” from “Split” who has kidnapped another group of young girls. The most dangerous of these personalities is “The Beast,” a psychotic animal-like monster who climbs walls and feeds on human flesh.
The third piece to the “superhero” triangle is Mr. Glass (Jackson), whom is diagnosed with type I osteogenesis imperfecta, rendering his bones brittle, causing them to break easily.
His character was placed in Raven Hill Memorial Psychiatric Hospital following “Unbreakable” for his crimes and spends the majority of the movie in a comatose state.
When Dunn finds Crumb after brushing against him on the sidewalk, he sees where he’s hiding the girls and rescues them. Crumb returns as “The Beast,” and the two have a physical confrontation which leads to them falling out of a window.
Police arrived and tossed them into the psychiatric hospital together with Mr. Glass to be studied by Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson), a psychiatrist who examines patients who believe that they’re superheroes.
After separating his characters for most of the film, Shyamalan brings the three together in an enormous pink-walled room where they’re questioned by Staple, who persistently tries convincing them that their super-abilities are all in their heads.
Semi-successful with both Dunn and Crumb, they are left questioning their abilities alone in their rooms. Mr. Glass, perceived to be in a deeply vegetative state, out-smarts the security systems and breaks into Crumb’s room, plans to meet “The Beast,” and convinces Crumb to break out with him to lead Dunn to a highly publicized event to showcase their abilities to the world.
None of them ever make it to this event, however, they dual again in the parking lot of the hospital.
After the fight is over, we learn that Mr. Glass was the cause of Crumb’s father’s death who happened to be on the same train as Dunn that derailed in “Unbreakable.” Because of his father’s death, Crumb was left alone with his abusive mother, and Crumb developed “The Beast” to protect himself.
We also find out that Dr. Staple is apart of a secret society whose mission is to eradicate super beings. So instead of helping them, she was ultimately leading them to their demise.
Although the color scale is pleasing and the characters are all in one movie, the storyline could’ve been developed more. The ending is very unsatisfying and just outright confusing.
The fact that information about this secret superhero-hating society was introduced minutes before the films ending, lead many to believe that a possible sequel explaining it would follow, which isn’t the case.
Overall, the film was good, but it could have benefitted from some improved story-writing.
