“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (M) ***

CREATED by Rian Johnson about whom we may, or may not, hear more in future years, “Glass Onion” is, after three years of gestation, the second movie in what may, or may not, become a series under the “Knives Out” banner. 

Its murderous whodunnit flavour neither bored nor excited me. Neither did its 139 minutes (including end credits) drive me into paroxysms of enthusiasm for the quintet of barely-clad female characters invited to spend a weekend on a Greek island owned by business mogul Miles Bron (Edward Norton) who had become filthy-rich from some unspoken enterprise and wanted a diversion from such bountiful boredom.

Miles’ guests include a stylist commentator (Kate Hudson) and her assistant (Jessica Henwick), an Afro-American scientist (Leslie Odom Jr), a politician (Kathryn Hahn), a firebrand muscle man (Dave Bautista) and his girlfriend (Madelyn Cline), and Miles’ former business partner (Janelle Monae). 

Fortunately, someone had the wisdom to invite super-sleuth Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to be on hand in case something happened needing a super-sleuth to investigate.

Betcha boots that Benoit is going to have his little grey cells energised before the end credits start rolling. Does “little grey cells” cause Agatha Christie loyalists’ ears to prick up? And call to mind the great Hercule Poirot?

David Suchet’s got nothing to fear from Daniel Craig’s reflection of Poirot under another flag. Writing Benoit Blanc into screenplays suiting Craig’s style will more than compensate him for 007’s vaporisation.

At Dendy, Palace Electric, Hoyts Belconnen and Limelight