Venom: The Last Dance Review
Just as chaotic as the rest of this franchise, although never quite realising the fun of the first instalment, Venom: The Last Dance ushers out this character with a whimper, not a howl.
Eddie and Venom (Tom Hardy) are on the run from the law, and decide to go to New York City to hide away. But the interstellar universe-killer Knull sends his minions after them to retrieve a codex that will free him from his multi-dimensional prison and allow him to snuff out all life in existence. Eddie and Venom find themselves not just on the run from the military and police, but also from an array of crazy interdimensional Venom killers.
Venom: The Last Dance is an absolutely baffling movie plotwise. There are macguffins galore, an array of random side characters, and actors and actresses playing so against type that you just feel deeply off put throughout. But let’s be serious; you didn’t come to see Venom 3 for a good story.
So let’s take this for what it is - a batshit insane movie that plays fast and loose with an also-ran superhero.
It’s not as good as the first Venom, that’s for certain. Hardy feels a little wearier here, there isn’t as much story to divulge, and there’s a whole heap of random stuff knocking about in this one that isn’t super fun, so it definitely doesn’t hit the heights of the first. But it’s not that far off the second, to be fair. Both have plots you’ll forget immediately, but the occasional fun visual setpiece that sticks with you.
Here, Hardy is once again the driver behind the parts you’ll love. He really nails both Eddie Brock and Venom, and it’s always fun when he’s on screen. The rest of the characters not so much; every single other character in this movie, despite the best efforts of the actors involved, feels entirely pointless to the plot.
There are some cringeworthy moments, like when about 15 other venoms rock up to fight the mysterious creatures. There are some truly baffling choices, like having a bus full of alien-loving hippies sing Bowie for 5 straight minutes. And there are some woeful plot devices that are barely thought out. But you forgive it all a little bit, because you know it doesn’t matter, because you know it’s just Venom.
One does wish that there was a little more fun, and a little more swinging for the fences. But ultimately, it’s impossible to judge a franchise like this that so evidently does not care what you think. All you can say is, if you liked the other Venom movies, you’ll probably like this one too. And if you didn’t, then you’ll probably also hate this one.
