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Review: Venom - Let There Be...

A Quick Preface

One of the problems with a blog like this is that it is of necessity infrequent, as it only applies when I go to see movies. I'll need to think of things I can talk about between film viewings. Perhaps TV shows I watch? That could fill in the gaps. I'm open to suggestions.

That being said, let's dive in. 

I am calling this blog "Venom 2" as (I kid you not) Facebook has decreed that using the full title of the film violates their community standards, and I usually share these blogs on Facebook. So to be clear, we're talking about the film Venom: Let there Be C***age. 



Introduction

The first Venom film didn't exactly light up the box office, especially when compared to other superhero blockbusters over the past 15 years or so. Still, it did well enough to merit a sequel, and has developed a cult following. I'm one of those who discovered it later and found it a delight. It's a well-done R-rated superhero film that shockingly did a great job of removing Eddie Brock/Venom from their association Spider-Man and allowing them to stand on their own two feet as an antihero right from the start.

The post-credit sequence which revealed Cletus Kassidy was also a delight for fans, and promised "carnage" in the sequel. Does it deliver? Let's find out. 

The Good

This movie, as one expects from a Venom outing, was a ton of fun to watch. The interplay between Eddie and Venom evokes very much the classic Felix-Oscar, Odd Couple dynamic, and is laugh-out-loud funny. Yes, there's also a subtle LGBT subtext there, with them fighting like an old married couple, and the constant, "you love me," between the two of them, but at the same time, don't expect Eddie (or Venom, for that matter) to stop loving Anne and become a couple themselves. 

I want to avoid spoilers, but I'll just say that there's a scene where Venom declares himself "out of the Eddie Brock closet" and goes to a costume party at a club, which is possibly one of the most memorable scenes I've seen in a superhero film. 

Next up: Cletus/Carnage. Venom's offspring has been appropriately created to be violent, brutal, completely amoral, and absolutely horrific. He was scary enough that I questioned the sanity of a few parents who had brought young children to the film. Make no mistake, while the story is very surface-level (more on that below), it's also as much a horror film as it is an action superhero movie, and it succeeds in thiat effort. 

The Bad

I'm rarely one to use the "brings nothing new" criticism, and I am often dismissive of critics who do, but in this case, it has to be said: Venom 2 doesn't bring anything new to the table, and in fact, is probably way more surface-level than it should be. There are no nuances or subtleties to the stories at all. The character dynamics don't remotely change; the Venom/Eddie you get at the end is the exact same Venom/Eddie you start with. Their feelings for Anne and hers for them? Same at the end as the start. Same with Dan. So while it's a fun romp, it doesn't really move Venom's story forward at all. 

It also takes a very long time for Cletus to become Carnage. The character of Shriek is a bit wasted in the film, and the story is very surface-level and rote: kidnap someone close to the hero to get revenge on the hero; hero takes a beating and comes out on top. No twists, no surprises--it would be hard to spoil this film, in fact, because there's very little to spoil. Because of all this, it probably feels a bit longer than it actually is; that is, becuase there's nothing to keep you on the edge of your seat, it drags a bit. 

The Ugly

This film looks gorgeous, which is something that a Venom film hinges upon. If the effects fail, the entire movie falls apart. The voice acting by Tom Hardy for Venom himself is fantastic, as is the voice acting Woody Harrelson does for Carnage. Of course, the film was directed by Andy Serkis, so we knew the mo-cap and effects were going to be stunning. There's no one better for handling that sort of thing. That being said, Serkis has a ways to go to develop his abilities as a visual storyteller. Much like the story, there's very little nuance in his direction. It's competent, but very straightforward and he doesn't take risks. That's fine and there's nothing wrong with that--an R-rated superhero film is not War and Peace, nor should it be. Serkis delivers what's needed here by staying in his lane. 

We live in a world where a lot of TV shows and films are overdoing sound effects and music to the point where they drown out dialogue. It's a fad that needs to go away, and thankfully, Venom 2 doesn't fall into that trap. It's traditionally mixed, and it works across the board. I have no complaints whatsoever about the visuals, sound, editing, or direction. 

Summary

Venom 2 is a great flick that is a ton of fun to watch. The story, however, could have had a bit more nuance, a bit less cliche, and a few more twists and turns. Outstanding characters are a bit wasted as a result. It looks great and is competently executed. I give it 3.5 out of 5 tubs of popcorn. 




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