Here’s Venom, the Alvin and the Chipmunks of the superhero genre, in the sense that “I can’t believe this franchise is already a trilogy” 😄 Actually that’s harsh, mainly because I haven’t seen the Chipmunk movies to value their worth. And actually more, if the Venom movies had come out in any other decade, they’d probably be more prominent. I do like them – structurally, they’re very sound; it’s just that I don’t hardly like any of the characterisations. In research leading up to this movie, I found a rumor that Tom Hardy partly based his performance on Connor McGregor – to give Eddie Brock that sort’ve flashy larrikin nature – and maybe that’s it; it’s just not what I imagine a twice-fired investigative journalist to be. I also think these movies have really been hampered by not knowing where and what they can mention about Eddie Brock’s past, in relation to this being a Spider-Man spin-off movie, and it’s really hurt establish the character from the very beginning – I may talk about this rabbit hole more when I see Kraven the Hunter.
Following the events of a couple of connecting movies, Eddie Brock/Venom (Tom Hardy) find themselves in Mexico, and wanted by authorities over the supposed death of Detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham). They plan to lay low in New York City, but get caught in a caper involving alien-dog lawn-mower heads searching for Venom, and the intercepting military, who have a lab of other alien symbiotes in Area 51. The universe is in danger, there are new faces and friends… Venom: The Last Dance is written and directed by Kelly Marcel.
Oh dear. Trouble was brewing early, with the promise of an off world superbeing monologuing about needing a key to ensure domination. Hardly the most grounded of all threats I’ve enjoyed across the two previous movies, involving narcissist CEOs and serial killers, while the fantasy element of the Venom character has infused the surreal layer of fun. But, in fairness, it’s really been the DCEU that’s ruined this model of comic storytelling for me, through the overuse of “mother-boxes”, and “golden apples”, and “black tridents”; heroes and villains playing seek and find for control of the known universe 🙄 Yet through what is actually delivered by this movie, my problems with Venom: The Last Dance are a tale as old as time – ultimately, I have little qualm with the story being told, but I do with how the movie goes about it. It’s the last dance, so I don’t mind the plot getting all up in my grill planning an action-packed finale for all the comic book incarnations of Venom to get their onscreen debuts. Seeing the differently coloured symbiotes, and their abilities, made me intrigued to do some literary research to learn more, and I think Juno Temple encompasses an interesting character that I’d happily see again.
But my many concerns with this movie all come back to one overarching question – are we supposed to assume Eddie Brock has returned from the outskirts of Spider-Man: No Way Home to his own universe, or another? It certainly feels like we are in another splice of the multiverse, and it would help explain a lot. Because here comes a barrage of questions… How the hell has Venom created a “codex” by saving Brock’s life, and only just worried about it now? How exactly have Venom and Brock merged lifeforces, while Venom has been so keen to leave Brock behind in ‘Let There Be Carnage, and jumps on and off Brock at any given opportunity? When did these other symbiotes travel to Earth by comet, when we’ve only ever known them to have come in off the Life Foundation’s rocket before? Are these symbiotes simply another batch? And as for Venom’s batch, why did they not mention they were seeking refuge from Knull (Andy Serkis), when I’m pretty sure Riot’s goal was just to consume Earth in Venom? How is Mulligan’s symbiote so sophisticated and smart if he’s an offshoot of Carnage? And if he’s not an offshoot of Carnage, since the symbiote that flickers at the end of the last movie is said to have left him, why brother bringing Mulligan back to Area 51 at all? You may be reading these questions and have an in-universe answer to all of them, but the sheer number of puzzles I found presented to me, really clogged up my logistics. But Mr. Script Doctor here, and if this movie is to be so loosely connected to events across the previous Venom movies, then why not pull the lever, and make this a multiverse movie? I could easily categorized this movie in my mind as an Army of Darkness style sequel to The Evil Dead, where the lively consequences for our main star would remain the same, while we engage in new rules from a completely different universe. Imagine a reframing where Rhys Ifans is playing an alternative version of Curt Connors, the Lizard, with his backstory and family being a little wink to us, the audience, as we know Venom is somewhere new. Chiwetel Ejiofor could fit that rationale too, as a process orientated General that’s never heard of the mystic arts. Meanwhile, the investigative Brock can quiz Venom on how he could not have possibly realised he created a universe-threatening codex once he saved Brock’s life; and Venom can say that he checked at the time, but it didn’t seem to be there until now 🤷♂️ Then when Venom runs into Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu), she can reveal that she never worked at a corner shop, but owns a chain of them, and only befriended Eddie after he wrote a column on her a few years back; therefore revealing to Eddie that things are not what they seem. This then explains a different backstory for the symbiote landing, why the symbiotes have a different priority, the Area 51 location, and could include a scene where Eddie and Venom even wonder what Ann might be doing in this universe, and if she never married that dropkick Dan… It’s a chore for me having to reshape everything I see, but I really think this movie could’ve been much better, and is only exciting through this different lens.
A few small positives – Eddie and Venom are working better together. I simply love how this movie has embraced Venom’s face popping out the side of Eddie’s body in more instances. And it leads to a rejuvenated fight scene in the Mexican slums, as Venom’s tentacles go every which way, while Brock is still active in the fight with his fists 👍 I like the byplay of the soldiers verses the scientist’s goals, although it is minimal, and considering the way the rest of this movie goes, I wouldn’t be surprised if anything that I might find insightful here is accidental. Because, oh, this movie does contains some low lows. Venom shortsighted gambling, Eddie so unnecessarily lying to a child – what are we doing here??? Venom gives up their location, and perhaps the fate of the galaxy, for a choreographed outro with Mrs. Chen 🤮 I don’t mind upbeat scenes like singing in the car to David Bowie, and even the ridiculous cocktail making sequence at the start has some merit, but there are moments in this movie where Venom’s inane nattering becomes more like a pre-school Cookie Monster than an intimidating half of the lethal protector. When Venom says, “thanks for the chocolate”, to young Leaf Moon (Dash McCloud), I swear he sounds like Mr. Bean 👀
But Venom gets a good death scene, and it’s all over now, so I won’t pile on the fallen. I think it’s pretty easy to pull off a fuzzy-feelings montage to a solemn song, and Venom: The Last Dance’s ending is affective 😢 Yet, when it comes to comic book movies, I’d have to put this on par with Blue Beetle from last year, as engaging, and inoffensive in its endeavour, but in need of some desperate recalibrating to be considered an exciting journey. Venom: The Last Dance is easily the worst of the Venom trilogy. All three movies have really felt like snowflakes, melting on my tongue – sure, the sensation is there, the event is somewhat exciting, but the taste is flavourless. And even Zooper Dooper figured out that ice goes better with a bit of raspberry cordial.
2.5
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