Review by Nicholas Porteous for Mr. Will Wong
When we left Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), host of the rascally and rambunctious Venom symbiote, he was unwittingly warped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, watching Tom Holland’s Spider-Man on a tiki bar tv. Would our hero transform into Spidey‘s villainous counterpart in his “last” outing?? Cut to Venom: The Last Dance, the third and supposedly final chapter, which begins moments later… and instantly rescinds any possibility of a shared universe story. Brock warps back to the Sonyverse without a second thought, Venom loudly proclaims he’s “done with this multiverse shit!” and we’ll have to settle for something else. These ramp-ups and let downs are a motif in The Last Dance, a baffling Trilogy-ender filled with opposing tones, head-scratching setpieces, and a ton of cartoonish-yet-hyper-real violence. In other words–we’re dealing with a CLASSIC Venom film.
Venom has always juggled its unusual vibes with varying degrees of success. On one hand, it’s a Buddy Comedy about an infantile, rampaging alien and his comparatively straight-laced-but-also-outlandish host. On the other, it’s a slaughterhouse of blood, bullets, and decapitation. And then there’s a persistent, third tentacle of scary lore about an unstoppable alien invasion headed for earth, featuring Venom as our last line of defense. The audience is made to feel as discombobulated as Brock, with scenes that intend to build serious, world-shattering stakes next to Eddie‘s more grounded personal struggles, all couched in Venom‘s violent outbursts and endlessly jokey repartee that, while somewhat entertaining in a Venom-vacuum, works to undermine every other ingredient. Perhaps Venom‘s tireless, wacky, raging voice is the unifying force here. We’re watching a seven-year-old play with human action figures and a massive budget. The result is excessively explosive, barely coherent, and a little bit charming in spite of itself. But it’s not exactly meant for kids, OR adults. The series swings wildly in all directions, which makes for a reliable spectacle, as though The Mask had less Jim Carrey, more money and WAY more half-baked alien mythology. Unfortunately, the Venom movies have never managed to make all these elements come together into something that feels intentional or cohesive. It’s a series that wants to have it both ways–hilarious and horrifying–and can’t satisfyingly achieve either.
Back to this particular entry in the Series. After the events of Let There Be Carnage, Eddie is wanted for murder and must flee to New York. He meets a ridiculous family led by Rhys Ifans along the way. The Movie presents him as a loveable hippie, but he grated on my nerves for putting his frightened children in danger at every other moment. Meanwhile, Juno Temple and Chiwitel Ejiorfor work to unlock the secrets of several other symbiotes on a poorly-guarded government base. There’s also a very scary alien man, Knull, who swears he’s coming to kill us all, but instead sits in his chair and waits for an army of large alien bugs to do most of the work for him. A huge share of the conflict in The Last Dance revolves around one of his bug subordinates, who is nonverbal, without a personality, and conveniently takes damage or doesn’t depending on the situation. It’s the fullest expression of the kid-with-action-figures vibe I’m describing. ‘BAM BAM! Venom hits the bug. But it’s not enough! Venom runs over there! BAM BAM! Ejiofor tries to hit the bug now!’ Etc etc etc etc.
All-in-all, The Last Dance is tedious, unwieldy, a tiny bit funny, and the ride’s over in 90-ish minutes. Above everything else, it’s VERY Venom. If you’re a fan of the Series, this dance fits right in there. If you had mixed-to-negative feelings about the other entries like myself, you’re more likely to leave the theatre in a familiar state of befuddlement, alongside a lingering, mild amusement befitting that head-scratching, childish aura–synonymous with Venom since 2018.
Sony Pictures Canada release VENOM: THE LAST DANCE Friday, October 25, 2024.
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