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The first two films in the Venom franchise aren’t the best comic book movies around. Sure, they can be quite fun, and fans of the Spider-Man character might get a kick out of seeing a fairly accurate portrayal of the character in live-action, but both films are a functional mess. The latest (and presumably last) entry in the franchise, Venom: The Last Dance, doubles down on those vibes, resulting in a goofy film that focuses on the relationship between Eddie Brock and his alien companion.
Written and directed by Kelly Marcel (Fifty Shades of Grey) in her directorial debut, Venom: The Last Dance picks up after the events of Let There Be Carnage, with Brock on the run. Tom Hardy (Inception) is the only main returning cast member from the previous films, playing Brock and voicing Venom. He is joined by Juno Temple (Ted Lasso), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Doctor Strange), Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man), and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings) as the voice of the shadowy villain, Knull.
Venom: The Last Dance’s Story Feels Restricted
Venom: The Last Dance‘s premise is set up relatively quickly. Inspired by a recent run of Venom comics by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman, the evil Knull is attempting to escape his prison of Klyntar. The symbiotes had imprisoned him prior to the events of the films, and in The Last Dance, he sends his Xenophages – large alien creatures who can regenerate – to track down a symbiote with a codex, the key to his release. Unfortunately, the codex is created once a symbiote fully merges with its host, which occurs when a symbiote brings it back to life.
As Venom revives Eddie in the first film, he has a codex, and that codex is a homing beacon for some creepy and powerful creatures. If Knull happens to escape, we’re told by the symbiotes that he’ll destroy the world. So, there are some pretty big stakes here. Eddie and Venom attempt to flee from the Xenophages, which is simple as they can only detect him in Venom form. Simultaneously, Brock is framed for the murder of Detective Mulligan (Stephen Graham) from Let There Be Carnage, who is actually being kept in a secret government lab, and who now has a symbiote of his own.
The story is a mess. There are many plot holes and the villain doesn’t get enough love because Venom: The Last Dance just isn’t big enough for him. Knull is a world-ending threat in the comics, and he’s set up to be that here, just not for this film. The result is a series of oddly paced chase sequences to ultimately defeat some minions while sidelining the villain. That might have worked if there was another villain to take Knull’s place, but there isn’t.
A Symbiotic Relationship
The best thing about the movie, however, is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Now, if it had a decently competent story, it could have had a more serious tone. But, that doesn’t mean that the film has no heart. Indeed, the movie does have some emotional weight to it and that saves it from being a mindless watch. Some of the heart feels a little forced, but the Venom and Eddie relationship feels earned, fun, and honestly emotional. Those moments of fun and heart are then broken up with scenes full of expositional dialogue and seemingly random plot lines that don’t go anywhere.
On top of that, the final act is rough, with a convergence of a couple of plot lines and another CGI symbiotic mishmash, similar to the final acts of the first two films. The visual effects are hit-or-miss, with hard-to-track symbiotes that look odd next to humans. Larger set pieces and smaller scenes with Venom fully formed look great. Hardy has done a great job – in this film and in the first two – playing Brock as manic and exhausted, resulting in a weird but entertaining performance. However, Hardy is occasionally unintelligible, especially when it’s a conversation between Brock and Venom.
Fortunately, the dialogue between Brock and Venom is mostly funny (when you can hear it). It’s a nice counterbalance to the other dialogue which is mostly expositional. Temple and Ejiofor play Dr. Payne and Rex Strickland, respectively. They are in charge of the facility dedicated to symbiote research underneath Area 51 and are tracking Brock. Ejiofor is fine, he isn’t given much to do. Temple is trying to weld together a backstory but is a poor replacement for Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn), who filled a similar role in the previous films.
The Venom Experience
As many gripes as I might have with the movie, the overall experience is quite similar to the first two films. Venom: The Last Dance is almost like Iron Man 3; it’s light on story, and some parts don’t make sense. The villain is almost non-existent and the main character is on his own for most of the film. But, just like Iron Man 3 and the previous Venom films, The Last Dance is entertaining. Many of its shortcomings are seemingly because the film goes in more goofier directions, while still being gruesome.
Scenes where Venom takes over animals, or when he busts a move to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” are what makes this film. Sure, the fights can be cool, and it’s awesome to see Venom do tricks on a motorbike. But, don’t we all want to see Venom take over a horse while Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” plays in the background? Aren’t we allowed to have a little fun? There’s plenty to laugh about in Venom: The Last Dance, and if you let yourself have fun, you probably will.
Riddled with flaws, Venom: The Last Dance is a decent time at the theater because it commits to being a fun time. The film has problems in nearly every department, but it’s a perfect messy send-off for this three-movie franchise about a man and his alien friend. If you like the previous two Venom movies, you’ll probably have a good time with Venom: The Last Dance as well.
You can watch Venom: The Last Dance in theaters now.
Venom: The Last Dance
Venom: The Last Dance is in line with the previous Venom movies, boasting a fun time with a weird relationship, despite many flaws.
Pros
- Funny dialogue and situational comedy result in a fun time.
- Good soundtrack with great track placement.
- Venom’s visual effects are good.
Cons
- The story is all over the place with an absent villain.
- Some of the visual effects are rough.
- While Hardy’s performance is good, you can barely make out his dialogue at times.
