“We are Venom!” – a line that once held a certain edgy charm, now echoes with a weariness that unfortunately mirrors the sentiment surrounding Venom: The Last Dance. After two lukewarm receptions with Venom and Let There Be Carnage, the question isn’t just whether this third installment can redeem the franchise, but whether anyone still cares.
Full disclosure, going into Venom: The Last Dance, expectations were subterranean. The previous Sony-led Marvel ventures have been a mixed bag at best, and the Venom series, while commercially viable, has never quite captured critical acclaim. However, whispers from a trusted critic friend who attended an early screening offered a sliver of hope, suggesting this entry might be… less terrible. Could Venom: The Last Dance defy expectations and deliver a surprising final act? Or is it simply another stumble in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe?
Regrettably, any flicker of optimism is quickly extinguished. While holding onto a faint wish for surprise, the overwhelming feeling is one of franchise fatigue. Remember when Puss in Boots: The Last Wish unexpectedly revitalized its series? Venom is no Puss in Boots. Instead, it feels like watching a once-intriguing concept being relentlessly flogged, resulting in a cinematic experience that’s less dance and more dirge. Three movies in, and the magic remains stubbornly absent.
This is particularly disheartening considering the talent of Tom Hardy. Known for his intense and gritty roles, Hardy excels as an anti-hero figure. However, in the Venom universe, he seems miscast, trapped in a repetitive cycle of comedic beats that have long lost their punch. The Eddie Brock/Venom dynamic, once novel, now feels like a tired routine. The humor, often relying on Venom’s potty mouth and childish antics, feels forced and recycled from the previous films. The novelty of Venom saying “shit” wore off about two movies ago.
Being a Marvel-adjacent movie (in the loosest sense, thanks to Sony), action is expected. Yet, the action sequences in Venom: The Last Dance are disappointingly generic and uninspired. They lack any sense of originality or excitement, feeling obligatory rather than organically woven into the narrative. It’s as if the filmmakers checked off an action quota, ensuring explosions happen at regular intervals, regardless of whether they serve the story. The action feels manufactured and ultimately forgettable.
One particularly baffling scene involves Venom and Eddie battling an alien foe on the exterior of a commercial airliner at 30,000 feet. After dispatching the enemy by shoving them into an engine, Venom and Eddie nonchalantly abandon the damaged plane mid-flight, seemingly unconcerned about the hundreds of passengers left to their fate. This exemplifies the film’s overall disregard for logic and consequence, prioritizing spectacle over coherence.
Venom: The Last Dance follows the predictable motions of a Sony-produced Marvel movie. While marginally better than the disastrous Madame Web, setting the bar at rock bottom isn’t exactly a triumph. The looming prospect of Kraven the Hunter suddenly becomes less enticing. This movie, like its predecessors, wallows in mediocrity, never striving for anything beyond the bare minimum. After three attempts, one would hope for a spark of ambition, but Venom remains stubbornly earthbound.
Pacing further contributes to the film’s failings. The narrative ambles aimlessly for the majority of its runtime, only to rush headlong into a hurried final act. The film concludes abruptly, leaving the impression that the supposed “last dance” was cut short before it even truly began. Despite its mercifully shorter runtime, the rushed pacing undermines any potential for emotional resonance or satisfying closure.
Mirroring the first Venom movie, the villains remain paper-thin and uninspired. The trope of a power-hungry megalomaniac returns, failing to generate any genuine sense of threat. While Let There Be Carnage offered a slightly more compelling antagonist in a serial killer symbiote, The Last Dance seems to regress. It even falls into the trap of “Avengers syndrome,” introducing a universe-ending threat but relegating audiences to battling generic minions, seemingly setting up future installments that, frankly, no one is clamoring for.
Ultimately, Venom: The Last Dance‘s most damning flaw is its sheer forgettability. The story feels rushed, and the central relationship between Eddie and Venom, purportedly reaching its conclusion, is given scant moments of genuine depth amidst the forced humor and predictable plot points. The attempts at emotional weight through tragic backstories feel contrived and out of place. The human characters are stock comic book archetypes, going through predictable motions.
It’s difficult to muster any investment in Venom: The Last Dance because the film itself seems indifferent to engaging the audience. It occupies a space of profound insignificance. If you enjoyed the previous Venom movies, you might find something palatable here, but for those hoping for a satisfying finale or a spark of originality, prepare for disappointment. Venom: The Last Dance ends not with a bang, but with a resounding “meh.”
Rated PG-13 For: intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images and strong language
Runtime: 109 minutes
After Credits Scene: Yes. It’s nothing important but yes.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Comedy
Starring: Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Stephen Graham, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Directed By: Kelly Marcel
Out of 10
Story: 5/ Acting: 6/ Directing: 6/ Visuals: 5.5
OVERALL: 5/10
Buy to Own: No.
Check out the trailer below:
