"Glass Onion" is a fascinating film; by no means as consistently riveting as its predecessor, this sequel takes a good hour or so before finally sinking its hooks into the meat of the mystery it's trying to solve. And so, before viewers even know what that mystery is, they have to sit through an arguably slow 60 minutes full of lighthearted comedy masquerading as plot and character development. Director Rian Johnson loves his visual gags, and there are a lot of them during this movie's first act. While I personally didn't find many of the jokes to be laugh out loud funny, mileage may vary - humor is subjective, and my audience seemed to be going along with it; I, however, couldn't wait for the actual plot to kick into high gear, and once it did - oh boy - "Glass Onion" suddenly became one of the most exciting whodunit film's since, well, "Knives Out."

Yes, Rian Johnson gets overindulgent (per usual) during this movie's first act - it's slow, it meanders, and it has the potential to test your patience. That said, the borderline excruciating pace does help in the sense that you feel like you are spending time, for better or for worse, with all the movie's characters; or should I say, caricatures. Authenticity is a lacking character trait here - no one really feels like a real person, and every character is just a little too ridiculous, a little too hyper stylized. While it can make for an energetic and entertaining viewing experience, it doesn't necessarily make for engaging characterization. This more aloof style of character development did, admittedly hinder my enjoyment at first - that is, until "Glass Onion" begins to set its pieces up and then knock them down.

By the time the second act started, "Glass Onion" had me in its grip; Rian Johnson is no stranger to subverting audience expectations, which he did marvelously here by introducing a mystery that no one could have predicted. And everything just gets better and bigger from there. A movie like this that balances an almost ungodly amount of twists and turns risks collapsing in on itself from the weight, but Rian manages to weave together a nonlinear narrative that expertly builds tension, setting up many a mystery for both its audience and its characters to solve. Sure, you might have to sit through a while before you get to it, but I can undeniably say that it was well worth the wait due to the sheer excitement and entertainment value that "Glass Onion" offers during its last two acts. And honestly, that's the highest praise I can give this movie - the mystery engaged me, entertained me, and had me so enthralled that I could forgive the movie for its shortcomings.

"Glass Onion" delivers a clever thrill ride that will be sure to engage and entertain viewers of all ages. This isn't a perfect movie - perhaps too silly for its own good, the film focuses more on comedy than suspense during its first hour, which can potentially alienate audiences. However, once the plot really begins, I believe that you will find yourself having a good - no, a great - time and, like me, you'll be able to look past the negatives and enjoy this movie for all of its many positives.