VENOM: THE LAST DANCE – “Embraces the wacky madness – and so should you”
RATING
DIRECTOR
Directed by: Kelly Marcel
MAIN CAST
• Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock / Venom
• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Rex Strickland
• Juno Temple as a scientist
• Peggy Lu as Mrs. Chen
• Stephen Graham as Patrick Mulligan
SYNOPSIS
It is the sequel to Venom (2018) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Eddie Brock and the symbiote Venom go on the run when they are hunted by both of their worlds.
REVIEW SUMMARY
Venom: The Last Dance embraces the wacky madness – and so should you. Trust me, if you just go with the berserk silliness of it all, you’ll have a surprisingly fun time. I definitely did. Of course, this film, like the others, is impeccably elevated by Tom Hardy’s dual performance as both Eddie Brock and Venom. Together, they share a strange “buddy comedy” vibe that somehow just works. Let’s just say the bonkers back-and-forth between Eddie and his parasitic partner is never not entertaining. The oddball quirkiness isn’t the only thing still intact though, as the slimy and slithering CGI is once more on point. And it’s a good thing too, because there’s a lot of it in this movie - get ready for “Venomized” horses, frogs, and fish. Heck, the last act alone is nothing more than one big CGI slugfest. And while there’s no dearth of big action set pieces, there’s a noticeable lack of, oh, you know - meaningful plot. Remember what I said about not putting too much thought into things? Well, that goes double for the eyeroll-worthy narrative. There’s a whole lot of mumbo jumbo about some imprisoned alien bad guy and his search for a codex that happens to be inside Venom. I mean, there’s more stuff going on (Eddie is on the run from the authorities for the events of the last film), but it all adds up to forgettable nonsense. The film also wastes it’s supporting characters, namely a game Chiwetel Ejiofor. Underdeveloped and undercooked, they all mean little to the story at hand. However, that’s nothing new for this franchise. Venom has always been the main focus, and given Hardy’s balls-to-the-wall output, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I should note that this is a supposed “swan song” for ‘ol Venom (this iteration, anyways). And, with that, the film injects some welcome heart to the proceedings. There’s even a touching moment with a wayward family. Will a Venom movie make you cry? Probably not, but the sentiment is genuine. So yes, if you dug the previous symbiote-infested outings, Venom: The Last Dance will surely have your tongue wagging in enjoyment.
BOX OFFICE TOP 5
7
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
$4.6 million