Kelly Marcel
STARRING
Tom Hardy - Eddie Brock/Venom
Chiwetel Ejiofor - General Rex Strickland
Juno Temple - Dr. Teddy Payne
Clark Backo - Sadie Backo
Rhys Ifans - Martin Moon
Stephen Graham - Detective Mulligan
Peggy Lu - Mrs. Chen
Genre - Action/Adventure/Science Fiction/Aliens/Comic Books
Running Time - 109 Minutes
PLOT
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.
REVIEW
PROS
Hardy does seem a bit bored and tired in this installment, but maybe that was intentional considering Eddie Brock has gone through a whole lot in three films. His voicework as Venom remains the highlight, sharing hilarious banter and genuine emotional moments with Eddie Brock. While the trilogy hasn’t been the strongest, it’s a shame that Hardy is stepping away from the franchise because he’s probably the main reason to watch any of these movies. He’s charismatic, can handle action pretty well and just manages to bring a level of gravitas a movie like this doesn’t deserve. Hardy carries the film on his back and is the only real reason to watch this movie.
Some of the first act and the entire final act. I’m just gonna be honest - a lot of this movie is a slog to get through. But VENOM 3 starts off where the after credits of 2021’s SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME ends where Eddie is sent out of the MCU and sent back to the Sony universe. Realizing he’s wanted for a crime he didn’t commit [the murder of Detective Mulligan in LET THERE BE CARNAGE], Eddie goes on the run, confronting a number of characters and even an alien threat along the way. The opening where Eddie takes on a gang is fun, due to a cool visual showcase of Venom’s powers. The entire final act is also a whole lot of fun - just a CGI, symbiote action fest where a group of symbiotes possess people and take on an alien threat [and some of the military as well]. I thought the 3rd act was the best part of the film because it felt like a comic book movie for once and there were actual stakes involved. First time director Kelly Marcel handles the scope quite well, even if she can’t maintain the pacing for quieter, character moments in mostly the second act.
Knull. The King and Creator of the Symbiotes has finally made his first-time live-action appearance, with Andy Serkis doing the motion capture and voice for, who is apparently, the next great villain in the Spider-Verse. I love the idea of Knull and using a totally new character as the big threat for the Spider-Man characters is a great move. He could be the new Thanos if done right.
CONS
The supporting characters. The first two VENOM movies had characters that, while not the most fleshed out, actually elevate the material and flesh out Eddie Brock’s world. Anne, Cletus Kasady, Detective Mulligan, Mrs. Chen - these supporting characters added variety to the earlier films and were likable.
VENOM 3 barely has any of that. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Juno Temple are very good actors, but their respective characters [General Strickland and Dr. Payne] could have been played by anyone and it wouldn’t have changed their importance in this film. Strickland is your typical military antagonist who would rather kill the threat rather than reason or understand it. Payne has more of a tragic backstory involving a brother who was murdered after a lightning strike that has crippled one of her arms [she was holding his hand while he was struck], but nothing much really comes from that until the very end when it was too late to care about her or her story.
We also get the returns of both Detective Mulligan [who is still alive, which makes the government look like jerks for framing an innocent man] and Mrs. Chen [who is one of the film’s short highlights in a cool Las Vegas sequence]. While Chen seems like an addition due to fan service, Mulligan’s role is a bit more sinister and a welcome presence. And there’s also the Moon family [Rhys Ifans playing multiple roles in the Spider-Verse], who are interesting UFO conspiracists that help add to the fun of the final act and give both Eddie and Venom some advice. Still, these characters aren’t all that interesting enough to flesh out a feature-length movie, leaving Eddie and Venom to really have themselves to keep the story moving.
The plot itself. Despite being the finale of a trilogy, VENOM 3 feels like the penultimate film to a real finale, considering what’s introduced here. We have Knull starting his villain arc. We have this plot device called the “Codex”, which was created when Venom revived Eddie from death in the first film - a tool Knull needs to escape his world. Everytime the symbiote takes over Eddie, the Codex alerts Knull and his army where it is. It’s a nice plot device that plays well visually, but it doesn’t really go anywhere narratively. Then we have scientists studying different symbiotes to apparently cure people. We also have a traveling family who want to go to Area 51. And a whole bunch of random stuff that takes away from a “final dance” for Eddie and Venom. No mention of Eddie’s ex, Anne. Nothing about Carnage. No mention of the multiverse adventure Eddie took. A lot of the sequences feel repetitive, rinse and repeat. There seems to be a focus in terms of story, but the execution feels a bit unfocused. And I’m gonna be honest - my eyes kept getting heavy while watching a lot of this film. I wish the story was more engaging as the trailers led us to believe.
THE FINAL HOWL
The only reason to watch this movie is Tom Hardy, continuing to be the highlight of these films in his dual role as both Eddie Brock and his symbiote. Plus, Kelly Marcel does a good job with the special effects and action sequences, considering she’s a first-time director. I honestly wasn’t expecting much out of this film and my expectations were pretty much met. Despite the money this movie has made, Eddie and Venom deserved a better send off than this.
SCORE
(4 out of 10)
Sam Raimi
STARRING
Benedict Cumberbatch - Dr. Stephen Strange
Elizabeth Olsen - Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Chiwetel Ejiofor - Karl Mordo
Benedict Wong - Wong
Xochitl Gomez - America Chavez
Rachel McAdams - Christine Palmer
Genre: Action/Horror/Fantasy/Adventure/Comic Books
Running Time: 126 Minutes
PLOT
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
REVIEW
Marvel promised us a horror film in DOCTOR STRANGE 2 and while it’s never a scary film at all, the imagery that Sam Raimi presents throughout the film are definitely callbacks to his EVIL DEAD franchise, as well as certain elements from DRAG ME TO HELL. And visually, DOCTOR STRANGE 2 is one of the more memorable in the MCU catalog because of it. From possessions, to hideous looking ghouls, to evil mirror reflections and demons and to certain characters looking and acting like zombies, DOCTOR STRANGE 2 has a lot of horror elements that might turn off younger audiences and squeamish viewers. And superheroes actually get murdered in this movie, some in really messed up ways. Marvel and Raimi really pushed that PG-13 rating with some of the film’s brutality, which even surprised me at times considering this is a Disney property.
The cast is really great in this film - in particular both Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen, who can play their respective roles of Doctor Strange [all of them] and The Scarlet Witch in their sleep at this point. Olsen, especially, is amazing in this film playing through so many emotional beats and making each one of them believable. Newcomer Xochitl Gomez does well with what she’s given. And returning actors Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams and Chiwetel Ejiofor have memorable moments. I also enjoyed the cameos, although I wish they were in the film more.
The narrative could have been stronger, as it felt too rushed at times. The film was supposed to be about 35 minutes longer, which makes me wonder what was cut out or reshot as replacements. There were times where you can tell a scene was edited a bit, as it felt a bit incomplete. I also think those lost minutes could have been used for more character development, especially for America Chavez. I also felt that Rick and Morty and Loki scribe Michael Waldron had some cheesy dialogue that didn’t quite work [especially for America Chavez] as well as writing for certain characters that made me think he didn’t watch some of those Disney+ shows that connect to this movie. I also felt the Illuminati stuff could have been longer and felt more important, and what’s the point of a Multiverse movie if you don’t do more with that concept? What we got was pretty neat, but I felt it was more of a teaser for something in the future more than anything. I did dig the mid-credits scene a lot however, as it promises to be a more Doctor Strange type movie that doesn’t deal with any Avengers. So I’m really looking forward to the future.
THE FINAL HOWL
SCORE
(8 out of 10)
Andy Serkis
STARRING
Tom Hardy - Eddie Brock/Venom
Woody Harrelson - Cletus Kasady/Carnage
Michelle Williams - Anne Weying
Naomie Harris - Frances Barrison/Shriek
Reid Scott - Dan Lewis
Stephen Graham - Patrick Mulligan
Peggy Lu - Mrs. Chen
Genre - Action/Adventure/Science Fiction/Horror/Comic Books
Running Time - 97 Minutes
PLOT
Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) attempts to reignite his career by interviewing serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), who becomes the host of the symbiote Carnage and escapes prison after a failed execution.
REVIEW
As someone who actually owns the comic with Carnage’s first full appearance from 1992 [ka-ching] due to the cool look of the character, I was super geeked for this movie. While I did have reservations about Woody Harrelson playing Cletus Kasady, he’s not a stranger to playing quirky, serial killer types. And while the PG-13 rating irked me, considering how super violent Carnage is, the idea of motion-capture legend Andy Serkis directing a CGI superhero fest was definitely appealing. Unfortunately, VENOM 2 didn’t really click for me completely due to many factors. But at least it’s silly, stupid and fun.
There’s really two big plot lines going on in VENOM 2. The obvious one is the introduction of Cletus Kasady, as he eventually becomes Carnage due to a sloppy move by the alien symbiote Venom, who leaves a piece of his offspring with Kasady to continue his serial killing rampage. Even though the film is probably shorter than it needs to be, the script does allow time to get into Kasady’s backstory - from being abused as a child, to meeting a superpowered meta in Frances Barrison and falling in love with her and to Kasady’s eventual need to reunite with her after both have been separated. While there’s a lot going on to explain who Kasady is, I do feel it’s done well enough to understand who he is and what his motivations are. Feeling a connection to Eddie Brock, Kasady sort of uses Brock to make himself more famous - which backfires when Venom figures out where Kasady’s victims are buried, leading to a quicker death row date for the serial killer while making Eddie Brock a hot reporter. This animosity leads to Kasady transforming into Carnage and wanting revenge on Brock and his symbiote. It’s pretty typical superhero movie premise 101, which is fine with me.
The other plot line involves Eddie Brock and Venom having relationship issues with one another, turning VENOM 2 into a love story of sorts between the symbiote and its human host. Serkis compared it to The Odd Couple and I definitely can see that comparison. Even after sharing a body for a while, both parties still want to live separate lives. Brock not only wants his ex-wife back [as does Venom], but he’s trying to build back his reputation as a journalist through Cletus Kasady. By suppressing Venom, he feels he can accomplish his goals and stay out of trouble. Venom, however, wants freedom to do what it wants. Venom wants to be the city’s Lethal Protector. Venom wants to kill Anne’s current boyfriend, Dr. Dan, in order for Brock to get back with her. Venom wants the freedom to eat human brains instead of chicken brains. When Venom solves Kasady’s case while Brock takes all of the credit, the two start arguing who is the better detective, which leads to a separation with both parties going their separate ways. Brock ends up trying to survive Kasady’s eventual pursuit for him, while Venom goes from body to body until he comes out to a party crowd how much he loves Brock. And Brock realizes his life is kind of boring with the symbiote. It’s an interesting take on this relationship and one that probably triggered a certain group of people against the so-called “woke” agenda of Hollywood. But I didn’t mind it because it’s used pretty well in the story, since the only ones who really understand them are each other.
And that’s the main issue with VENOM 2 - it’s way too short for what it tries to accomplish. Unlike most sequels, the film may be badder but it’s not bigger since it’s about ten minutes shorter than the first film. And when you’re introducing new characters while continuing established stories, you’re going to need a bit more time to connect it all. While I appreciate Andy Serkis not wanting too much filler and exposition, I feel like the film did need a bit of that to feel more complete. Frances feels like a side character compared to Carnage, even though I feel like she has more of the interesting character arc between the two. She was kidnapped as a child, shot by a cop, and then hidden away in this secret facility while they had her locked up while experimenting on her. And when she’s finally free, she’s being sassed by an alien who hates her power, while her boyfriend is trying to keep the peace. Unlike a Harley Quinn, for instance, Shriek never feels like a fully fleshed character but a prop to show that Cletus and his symbiote aren’t as much of a match as Brock and Venom are. And while the character shows potential by the film’s end, it’s just too late for the audience to really care.
As for the other characters, Anne and Dr. Dan are around for comic relief and damsel-in-distress stuff in the final act. They pretty much play the same roles as they did in the first film, not really showing much growth as characters honestly. There’s also Detective Mulligan, who has an interesting backstory and a hostile relationship with Brock. I feel like he’ll have more to do in the next film, but he’s really just around to be another obstacle for Brock and Venom.
And if anyone is expecting an epic battle between Venom and Carnage like in the comics, you’ll probably be disappointed. While it’s better than the final battle in the first film, I was really expecting more considering the action and CGI was a lot better in this movie. I guess what we got out of it was pretty cool as a comic nerd, but I wish there was more conflict between Venom and Carnage as almost a cat-and-mouse type of thriller. While I understood the motivations of the villains, it sort of felt old hat and didn’t really do much in terms of execution. But it was fine for what it was.
The acting is also very good. Tom Hardy seems to be having a blast playing both Eddie Brock and Venom. I felt he was trying to figure out how to balance the roles in the first film, but Hardy seems totally comfortable and game for anything here. Also getting a story credit in the film, it’s obvious he’s all in on the Venom character. He’s honestly the best part of these movies. Woody Harrelson gets to play a PG-13 version of his NATURAL BORN KILLERS character in Cletus Kasady and Carnage. I’m still unsure how I feel about his casting, but he seems to be having fun as well and gets a lot of cool things to do. I think in a longer film, he would have been able to do more with the role. Naomie Harris is fine as Frances, but I think she should have been given more interesting things to do. I really found her character interesting, only because of all the relationships she had to deal with. Again, a longer movie would have benefited her. Michelle Williams and Reid Scott do what they can with what they’re given as Anne and Dr. Dan. Stephen Graham is probably going to get more to do in future installments as Detective Mulligan, but he’s good here with what he’s given. And Peggy Lu is a highlight supporting character as Mrs. Chen. A solid cast for sure, but would have excelled more with a better script.
Let’s be honest - the only thing anyone is going to remember is the mid-credits scene. I won’t spoil it, even though I’m sure many know what it is by now. But I’m very excited to see where it takes this franchise because the potential is huge for VENOM 3 to be a really good sequel if done right.
THE FINAL HOWL
SCORE
