Venom is one of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains. The symbiotic alien was first introduced in 1988’s issue of The Amazing Spider-Man #300, and quickly became a fan-favorite Marvel character. While he’s primarily an antagonist, he’s served as an anti-hero in popular storylines like Lethal Protector. These comics serve as the primary launching point for the Tom Hardy trilogy of films. While they’ve never been accused of being masterpieces, the franchise has been the saving grace of the otherwise disastrous Sony Spider-Man Universe. With Venom: The Last Dance (allegedly) being the final installment in the Venom film series, there was a lot of pressure to get it right, especially after the laughable attempt at Madame Web earlier this year.
Venom: The Last Dance tests audiences with its absurdity
In the third film of the Venom franchise, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his symbiotic pal are on the run. With his face plastered across national news stations, accusing him of murder, there are fewer and fewer places to hide. But the pair soon learn that law enforcement are the least of their concerns when a powerful extraterrestrial being sets the duo in his crosshairs and unleashes an unstoppable army of powerful creatures to dispatch of them.
Venom: The Last Dance marks the directorial debut for Kelly Marcel, who also wrote the screenplay. Primarily known as a screenwriter, her inexperience in the director’s chair is fairly evident, as the film often feels unpolished and in desperate need of a rewrite and a fresh edit. Considering that she was the screenwriter for Fifty Shades of Grey, Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, you can anticipate the type of viewing experience that you’re in for with a fair amount of accuracy.
It’s a movie that was described by audience goers at my screening as “unhinged,” especially when referring to the manic performance from Tom Hardy. The absurd nature of the series is one of the best things it has going for it. This is a comic book movie through and through, and it’s not shy about leaning on the storytelling crutches utilized by most comics.
Exposition and dream sequences are used to provide every bit of necessary backstory, and the dialogue feels harsh and unnatural. But while similar movies pulled from the pages of Marvel and DC are making strides to present the characters in more grounded and grittier settings, Marcel and Hardy take advantage of the creative freedom allotted by a story set within this fantastical world.
The audience’s ability to suspend disbelief is tested, even for a film about aliens and monsters. The characters’ actions often make no sense, and ordinary people accomplish impossible feats with little effort or assistance. Most of that can be forgiven, brushed off as standard procedure for a popcorn blockbuster. What feels unforgivable is the lazy manner in which these moments are stitched together and the abhorrent dialogue that tries desperately (and unsuccessfully) to elicit an emotional response.
Smartly, Venom: The Last Dance leans heavily into the aspects that made the first two films popular with fans, doubling down on the bantering, back-and-forth relationship between Eddie and the symbiote. The odd couple nature of their bond is the staple of the series, and as the trilogy nears an end that dial is turned up to eleven. This is where the bulk of the comedic relief stems from. Most of the comedy didn’t land for me. I found the repeated, incessant inner ramblings of Venom to be more annoying than funny, but the packed theater was filled will laughter on more than one occasion.
There’s no strong, defined villain, but there is an interesting monster that serves as the primary threat. There’s nothing groundbreaking about the creature’s design, but it’s a superbly executed and visually stunning achievement. The VFX team are the true heroes here. For a story this overflowing with CGI, it never looks or feels fake. While comic book movies have garnered a reputation for subpar special effects, Venom: The Last Dance is a shining achievement of stellar CGI and special effects.
How does Venom 3 stack up to the Sony Spider-Verse?
Unbelievably, Sony has three Spider-Man adjacent projects hitting theaters in 2024. That’s astonishing, especially considering the MCU only has one. While the fate of Kraven the Hunter is unknown, Sony’s track record doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.
Venom: The Last Dance is substantially better than Morbius or Madame Web, and it’s mostly on par with the previous two Venom films, but in a year that we get Deadpool & Wolverine and The Penguin, it feels like Sony’s falling further and further behind in their attempts to stay relevant in the realm of comic book cinema.
Venom: The Last Dance hits theaters this weekend. Are you planning to watch this one? Let us know what you think about it on social media @mycosmiccircus.
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