by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: $9.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Stephen Graham
Intro:
... an overstuffed yet somehow stunningly simplistic flick that feels more like an excuse to execute stupid but cool ideas ...
The Venom movies have been an odd series of flicks, when you think about it. Starting in 2018 with Venom, starring the likes of Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed no less, it seemed that the series was going to be a Spider-Man adjacent stinker, and the critical reception was rough. However, the movie managed to pull in an eye-watering amount of money and a sequel was guaranteed. Said movie ended up being 2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which benefited from Woody Harrelson and slick direction from Andy Serkis… but you still wouldn’t call it good. It just seemed to be more aware of its inherent trashiness and leaned into the camp. Now, in 2024, we have the (alleged) finale to the series in the form of Venom: The Last Dance and the result is a film that finally understands how dodgy it is and proudly wears its underpants on its head.
Whether you’ll actually enjoy that is a matter entirely up to you.
Venom: The Last Dance reintroduces us to Eddie Brock/Venom (Tom Hardy) an increasingly schlubby looking investigative reporter who is on the run from the authorities after the events of the previous film. This time around, Eddie will have to deal with the overzealous soldier Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and the potentially world-ending threat of stroppy CGI scary man, Knull (Andy Serkis), who is sending a buttload of toothy symbiote-seeking monsters after our hero and his favourite ink-hued symbiote. We also have Juno Temple as a scientist who wants to make friends with the symbiotes, Rhys Ifans as a travelling alien-enthusiast hippie and a returning turn from a wasted Stephen Graham.
The result is an overstuffed yet somehow stunningly simplistic flick that feels more like an excuse to execute stupid but cool ideas like a Venom horse, a monster fight on the exterior of a plane, a battle with a half dozen different coloured symbiotes and so on. To be honest, some of these are quite fun. The Venom horse is actually really well executed and some of the action in the third act is effectively realised.
The problem is, everything else around these moments is so flat and listless. Juno Temple is underutilised to a near-criminal degree and Rhys Ifans’ entire subplot feels like it belongs to an entirely different film. Chiwetel Ejiofor does what he can with his very one-note role and, of course, Tom Hardy’s committed performance as both man and monster is likely the film’s saving grace.
Will one actor’s perplexingly wholehearted turn be enough to get this one over the line to Enjoyment City? Hard to say. Would you giggle in delight at an extended Venom dance number set to ABBA? If so, Venom: The Last Dance has got you covered. And hey, it’s a better time at the cinema than Joker: Folie à Deux! So, you know, if clearing low bars is your thing, then perhaps this final frolic is for you.