The first reactions to M. Night Shyamalan’sGlassare in. It’s been nearly two decades sinceUnbreakablefirst hit theaters and presented us with one of the most unconventional looks at superheroes and comic book mythology ever on the big screen. Thanks toSplit, which wound up being a surprise sequel of sorts toUnbreakable, there has been an appetite to see these worlds collide and that’s finally happening withGlass. Unfortunately, it’s just not what many of us were hoping for, if the critics are to be believed.
As of this writing,Glassholds a 38 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 26 reviews counted. That number, in terms of reviews, is going to increase exponentially in the coming days, but that’s enough to give us a general idea of how critics are feeling about the finale to thislong-in-the-works trilogy. Sadly, that’s not a great start and ranks nearThe Villagein terms of his filmography. This his how Rotten Tomatoes has boiled down the critical consensus thus far.
“Glass displays a few glimmers ofM. Night Shyamalanat his twisty world-building best, but ultimately disappoints as the conclusion to the writer-director’s long-gestating trilogy.”
Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Will both return as Elijah Price, aka Mr.Glassand David Dunn respectively, to meet up with James McAvoy’sKevin Wendell Crumb, aka the Beast. Given the extremely positive reaction toSplit, which grossed nearly $300 million worldwide and effectively pulled M. Night Shyamalan out of director’s jail, hopes were high forGlass. However, as Mashable says in their review, it doesn’t get there, to say the least.
“Watching Glass is like going to the movies with that one friend who cannot help leaning over to whisper one banal observation after another into your ear, and then leaning back satisfied that he’s just blown your mind.”
While not every critic has been so harsh, the vast majority of reactions seem to lean toward disappointing. It is very difficult for a movie like this tolive up to expectations, no doubt, but it sounds like this one really missed the mark for many critics. Even the “positive” review strain to find high praise. Empire Magazine had this to say in their review.
“Essentially aSplit sequel with an Unbreakable topping, this is weaker than either of those films but still has a decent amount of entertaining and creepy sequences, most of them due to McAvoy’s high-commitment performance.”
In any case,Glasslooks to have a solid opening weekend when it hits theaters on January 18. Though, these negative reviews, if they keep up, could dampen things just a bit. We’ve also collected some reactions from Twitter for you to check out below. And rest assured, there are a few positive thoughts in the bunch. It’s not all bad. Those who feel the need to dig deeper into the reviews can head on over toRotten Tomatoes.
