Venom: The Last Dance arrives in theaters carrying the weight of its predecessors, and unfortunately, it largely stumbles under the pressure. Walking into the screening with tempered expectations after the previous two films, this latest installment feels remarkably disjointed, meandering through a series of disconnected and often unfunny gags before any semblance of a plot emerges. Tom Hardy, reprising his dual role as Eddie Brock and Venom, co-wrote the script and at times seems as though his heart isn’t fully in it. The film introduces new faces including Juno Temple as the grating Dr. Payne, Chiwetel Ejiofor as the serious General Strickland, and Rhys Ifans embodying Martin, a stereotypical hippy en route to Area 51 with his family to witness UFOs. Martin’s unwavering belief in extraterrestrial phenomena adds a layer of quirky randomness to the unfolding events.
Venom: The Last Dance poster
The movie begins with Eddie and Venom, still fugitives, navigating their familiar love-hate dynamic. Eddie grapples with their co-existence, while Venom revels in the chaos. Their escapades lead them to a remote Mexican town where they perplex a local bartender (Cristo Fernandez) before catching the attention of federal authorities and Knull (Andy Serkis), the formidable leader from Venom’s home planet. This sets in motion their need to flee once again, escalating the already chaotic narrative.
The plot thickens, or perhaps, becomes more convoluted, as the Feds aim to capture Eddie and Venom for clandestine experiments in a secret lab beneath Area 51. Simultaneously, Knull, the god of the symbiotes, seeks vengeance on Venom and other symbiotes hiding on Earth. Knull, who created the symbiotes, feels betrayed and imprisoned by them and believes a codex hidden within one of them is key to his escape and retribution. It’s hardly a spoiler to suggest that Venom might possess this crucial codex, though its importance seems secondary to the onslaught of grotesque, seemingly indestructible creatures Knull unleashes.
Their escape route takes them near the Grand Canyon, where they encounter Martin and his family. In a rather arbitrary turn of events, Martin agrees to drive Eddie towards Las Vegas, despite it not being Eddie’s intended destination. Venom remains concealed from Martin’s family, presumably to avoid the complexities of explaining symbiote existence to individuals already perceived as unconventional.
Arriving in Las Vegas, the perpetually disheveled Eddie resorts to stealing a tuxedo to infiltrate the Paris Casino. Tom Hardy, momentarily transformed into a suave figure in the tuxedo, provides one of the film’s fleeting highlights. The James Bond comparison whispered by some audience members isn’t entirely misplaced, hinting at a potential direction that remains unexplored. Inside the casino, they encounter Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu), and her scene with Eddie and Venom stands out as one of the more genuinely entertaining moments in the film. However, as the adage goes, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas, and their encounter has further repercussions.
The film’s narrative structure feels episodic, almost like a series of vignettes strung together. There’s the Mexico vignette, the Grand Canyon vignette, the Las Vegas vignette, and ultimately, the Area 51 vignette. The final act at Area 51 is where the various plot threads loosely converge, though the overall impact remains somewhat disjointed.
Several questions linger after the credits roll. How could Tom Hardy, as a writer, craft such a muddled mix of humor and character development? What motivated Chiwetel Ejiofor to take on a role that requires him to be stern and serious in such a chaotic film, often to comedic effect? And lastly, is it possible that Juno Temple’s character is intentionally designed to have one of the most irritating voices imaginable?
Despite its title, Venom: The Last Dance, the film subtly hints at a continuation. Staying through the end credits reveals two post-credit scenes, one predictable and the other utterly baffling, suggesting the “last dance” might be a premature declaration. Ultimately, your enjoyment of Venom: The Last Dance will likely depend on your existing affinity for the Venom character and the broader Marvel multiverse. The prevailing audience reaction seemed to be summed up by a simple question: “Now, what?” – JoAnne Hyde
