In the endless amounts of superhero movies that have taken over the movie business, there is one franchise in the super franchises that surprises the fans, the so-called “fans” and the snobs all the same, and it’s Venom.
It is the only one of these Sony Spider-Man Universe films that has made money using a character that’s not a Spidey; it confounds many people. The first film in 2018 made a surprising 856 million dollar gross, proving that just like Deadpool, there are new star characters that can bring in audiences. Yet most people thought the movie was terrible. I, on the other hand, felt that it captured the feeling and tone of the 90s Venom comic books, especially after they put him somewhere else where Peter Parker wasn’t – he became a solid anti-hero on his along with others like The Punisher, Ghost Rider, and Wolverine.
Tom Hardy’s odd take on playing Eddie Brock, the host of the Symbiote and the human half of Venom, adds to the film’s charm. While the second film focusing on Carnage wasn’t as good as the first and didn’t make as much, it was still a fun time for me. We’re here at Venom: The Last Dance, the last film in this alien odd couple trilogy. Here, our Venom duo must deal with being on the run from the events of the end of the previous movie when a big bad thing in space is looking for them, as they have something they need to threaten the universe. Our goofy duo must hide from that and the military that is hunting symbiotes, and all the different strands come together to an explosive grand finale.
Hardy is still really good at playing a very empathic and sad boi, Eddie Brock, which is very different from the one in comics. He also voices Venom, and both performances are good as they are now this comedy duo, which I feel is like The Odd Couple (TV show version) in how they operate. The film mostly wants to focus on these two wandering the country, but then it remembers it needs to be a big old superhero spectacle. This is where it loses its luster and will turn many off. The military characters, the scientist, and the alien animals hunting Eddie and Venom are quite dull. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays General Rex Strickland, who doesn’t have much motivation and makes some really dumb decisions, but I enjoy seeing Ejiofor on screen. Juno Temple’s character, Dr. Payne, is pretty useless, and she hasn’t much to do. There’s some fun stuff when Eddie and Venom meet a family on a road trip to see Area 51 before it’s decommissioned. Rhys Ifans plays Martin, the father and Alanna Ubach plays the mom. These hippies play well off Eddie and Venom in a way that almost feels like the old Incredible Hulk TV show from the 70s. Peggy Lu is back as Mrs. Chen and has a hilarious scene with Venom in Vegas that really did well with the audience in the theater.
Overall, people are going to say this movie is terrible, and you know it might be. For me, Venom: The Last Dance is fun and enjoyable, and it still gives me the feeling of the comics it’s adapting from. That’s something that I’m not getting much from other Marvel adaptations in film and television currently. This doesn’t take itself seriously, but it does have a strong heart, even with a light plot. Even if you don’t watch it in the theater, it is worth watching it at home later this year.
English (US) · 