VENOM: THE LAST DANCE (2024)

Genre: Comics/Action
Director: Kelly Marcel
Cast: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Clark Backo, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach, Stephen Graham
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 24 October 2024

Synopsis: In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance.

Movie Review:

Tom Hardy returns yet again as the Jekyll and Hyde, anti-superhero Venom in the franchise so-called final outing. Writer Kelly Marcel who worked on Saving Mr Banks, Fifty Shades of Grey and the first two Venom entries stepped into the directing shoes helming yet again another hyperactive adventure featuring Venom fighting against forgettable symbiote creatures that simply won’t die.

After battling genius inventor Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) and Carnage (Woody Harrelson), journalist Eddie Brock (Hardy) is now on the run from the authorities after the death of Detective Mulligan (Stephen Graham). The US army led by General Rex (Chiwetel Ejiofor) wants him and the wise-cracking symbiote dead while the symbiote creator, Knull (Andy Serkis doing his mo-cap thingy) is sending his armies of creatures to hunt for Venom and the codex which will free him from his jail.

Venom: The Last Dance is the concluding chapter of Sony’s prized Spider-man related franchise considering the failure of Morbius and Madame Web. However, it doesn’t take the famous Marvel anti-hero anywhere in terms of narrative. At the very least, Eddie and Venom managed to make it outside San Francisco and into Las Vegas where Venom somehow has a disco dance with Mrs Chen (Peggy Lu), the convenience store owner in an out-of-place hilarious segment.

While on the run, Eddie also met an alien enthusiast, Martin (Rhys Ifans) and his family providing some warmth, heartfelt emotions between humans and our famous symbiote. Just to be clear, Martin is not going to to morph into the lizard anytime soon even though Ifans is playing both characters. Same goes to Ejiofor who is known for playing Karl Mordo. Probably it’s just a silly wink, wink kind of thing from Sony.

There’s also brilliant scientists Dr. Payne (Juno Temple) and Sadie (Clark Backo) working in Area 55 on the symbiote samples. Despite Marcel’s best efforts to give Payne a sad backstory, the end result simply doesn’t measure up. But longtime Venom fans are not here for the sentimental happenings and Marcel knows her fanbase. The fast bantering between Eddie and Venom results in a couple of funny jokes and gags, one involving Tom Cruise and high energetic action sequences with Venom turning into a horse, a fish and into a frog.

The CGI we must admit is far more impressive this time with the numerous CGI smackdowns looking insanely good on the big screen. Setting it in daytime is also a preferred option. Technicalities aside, these comic book movie adaptations continue to be a disservice to the villains they are introducing. Is there going to be a fourth entry consider Knull has yet set foot on earth 616 or Earth-199999 or wherever the filmmakers want the action to be. In other words, Venom: The Last Dance is a road trip buddy movie that doesn’t quite payoff.

Portraying Eddie Brock and Venom for the third time, Tom Hardy is as good as Ryan Reynolds playing Deadpool. We find it a tad hard not to find Hardy in this role ever because he is so amazing in this. Unfortunately, there is only so much madness and generic superhero antics you can stomach if the story lacks the magic to develop further. The mid and end credits hint of more so we are not exactly sure what Sony is planning to do with the IP. In the meantime, just enjoy the chaos and silliness from this odd couple.

Movie Rating:

(Love it or hate it, it’s yet another silly but entertaining entry in the Venom franchise)

Review by Linus Tee