'Venom: The Last Dance' Review: A Hapless, Rushed Ride Into The Sunset
Eddie and Venom are back on the big screen for one final adventure in Venom: The Last Dance, a conclusion that is emotionally limp and easily the weakest of the trilogy.
The offbeat, dynamic duo of Eddie Brock and Venom, both played once again by Tom Hardy, are on the run after their brawl with Carnage (Woody Harrelson) in the previous film, now facing a far bigger threat in Knull (Andy Serkis), a sinister being who aims to wipe out every symbiote in existence, causing the duo to have to make a choice that may put their relationship to the ultimate test.
The Venom films certainly haven’t aimed to be high art, instead embracing the wackiness of the character and focusing on giving fans a fun, quirky friendship between Eddie and the symbiote and some fun action sequences to boot. Fortunately, that central friendship is fully on display in this final installment, Hardy once again giving his all as both Eddie and Venom, constantly showing his playfulness and commitment to the role. Watching the two interact has always been the highlight of this series and this entry is no different, their conversations always providing laughs and a palpable energy that keeps things afloat, especially in this messy entry. The focus on their relationship and its possible end is handled fairly well, the two looking and feeling as close and connected as ever here.
This third installment is also not afraid to go a little bananas, which frankly the past two films should’ve aimed to do far more. The action sequences, especially in the film’s wildly entertaining climax, are over the top in the best ways possible and make full use of the symbiote and all its unique abilities. These sequences are well directed and staged by director Kelly Marcel, delivering the popcorn goods and entertainment value fans have come to know and expect. There’s a silliness to this outing that is endearing and wholeheartedly earnest. Despite the stakes, this sequel wants to make sure audiences remember how fun the character can be and I think it succeeds far more often than it comes up short in that regard.
However, this sequel is littered with a litany of issues that hold it back tremendously. For starters, the main villain of the film named Knull, who is a prominent figure in the comics with a rich backstory, is not only extremely underwhelming and underutilized, but wholly forgettable despite Serkis voicing the character. His character is given a rushed backstory in the film’s opening moments and is only seen sporadically in his prison chair throughout the film barking orders to his grotesque minions, never lifting his head to reveal himself. The character was clearly meant to stick around past this film to truly unleash his fury, but it’s highly unlikely audiences will ever see him again, making his presence in the film even more of a letdown.
There’s also a subplot involving a military man and a scientist, the former played by Chiwetel Ejiofor and the latter by Juno Temple, involving the capturing and studying of other symbiotes that have made their way to Earth that is incredibly uninteresting and bland, feeling more like a plot device than a compelling narrative exploration. Not only that, but Ejiofor and Temple are completely wasted in their thankless, underwritten roles, given material that is far beneath their talents and what they deserve. As a result, their performances come across as sleepy at best, but it’s also hard to blame them when they’re given very little to sink their teeth into.
The film also feels very rushed and overstuffed. For a film that is less than two hours, it tries to cram in far too much story for one film. The sequel tries to juggle too much, trying to balance Eddie and Venom’s friendship possibly coming to an end, Knull’s attempt to be released from his prison, the studying of symbiotes, and a whole side adventure with a wacky family, the father played by Rhys Ifans with no precision. The film bounces from location to location and from one story to the next without any cohesion or careful thought, never taking the time to flesh out any of them.
It’s also very evident that all three of these films have been held back by the PG-13 rating. If any character deserves an R-rated adventure, it’s Venom and the action sequences involving the character would have far more of a visceral punch if he was really let off the leash. As a result, while some of these set pieces are fun, they ultimately feel neutered and lack bite, pun absolutely intended. The script also isn’t making matters any better, many of the jokes falling flat and a ton of the dialogue feeling like it was ripped out of the most mediocre superhero films of the early 2000s.
While Venom: The Last Dance isn’t a disaster by any stretch, it’s still a very underwhelming and emotionally stunted conclusion to a series that never hit the bullseye it was aiming for. Hardy was and remains a great choice for the character, but his best efforts couldn’t save this final installment from fumbling the landing. There is still boundless potential for this comic book character, but after these three films, it’s more clear now than ever that he deserves a new creative direction and deeper exploration. Simply put, let’s hope these films walked so that Venom can truly run.