Venom: The Last Dance Review

Venom is one of my favorite Marvel characters because he can go in many directions. He can be a villain or a hero, depending on the story arc being told. In Sony’s cinematic universe, he has largely been portrayed as the hero with some shades of gray sprinkled in for good measure. The character has been portrayed in a more comedic manner, and the series has evolved into a buddy comedy, much to the dismay of many Marvel fans. It has also made me roll my eyes a few times throughout this trilogy. Still, I can’t deny that the ending to the trilogy in Venom: The Last Dance was made that much more impactful than it might have been otherwise if these movies had taken a more serious approach.

Story

The film begins with Eddie Brock on the lam in Mexico following a murder accusation that has his face plastered all over every television screen. It’s a continuation of the story that saw an investigative journalist with everything going for him devolve into a drunken drifter throughout the three films. He lost his reputation, his career, and his fiancée. He even loses his shoe on multiple occasions in this film in a running gag that kept popping up when you’d least expect it. It introduces itself as a somber story of Venom and Eddie being forced into an impossible decision as we follow the characters across the country.

Knull

The introduction of the next big Marvel villain, Knull, was exciting. We didn’t learn much about him through the movie, so I hope they expand on his character. There were faint glimpses of the gray-haired ghoul shackled up. We are told that he created the symbiotes as a means to conquer the universe, but they imprisoned him instead. The only way for him to escape the shackles is to use the “Codex,” which happens to be inside Venom. This leads Knull to send an alien race called the Xenophage to recover the Codex for their master. This leads to quite the conundrum, as either Eddie or Venom will have to die to break the Codex and save the universe.

Dr. Payne and Rex Strickland

The dynamic between the two most prominent characters in the movie, Dr. Payne (Juno Temple) and soldier Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor), is a complicated one that I don’t feel landed as well as it should have. Dr. Payne is a scientist who greatly admires her symbiote captives at Area 51. Rex wants to kill Eddie or Venom with no second thought. It seems that Rex has a more sensible approach to this situation. Conversely, it feels like Dr. Payne is too blinded by her studies to see the bigger picture. She comes across as more of a villain to me.

The Friends We Made Along the Way

For me, the journey to the climax is the highlight of this movie. We get a scene depicting Venom playing slots for the first time at lightning speed. He then gets angry that Eddie doesn’t have any more money. There’s a whole ride to Vegas with an alien-obsessed hippie played by Rhys Ifans and his family. Eddie and Venom just happened to meet them after wandering in from the woods. Mrs. Chen even hits it big in Vegas and dances with Venom to an ABBA song. This leads to some less-than-ideal circumstances with the Xenophage, as the Codex can only be seen when Venom is in his complete form. It was fun to see the bond between Eddie and Venom and how much it has grown since the first film.

The movie’s climax was rife with tension, with the world closing in on our heroes. I won’t spoil any of the outcomes for anyone here, but it was as perilous a situation as I’ve felt in a superhero movie in a long time. All the main characters got some screen time. Everything came together right at Area 51 in a battle for the universe. The film concludes with a wacky tribute to the bromance that has developed over time. It highlights some of the moments Eddie and Venom have shared throughout the trilogy.

Tom Hardy

It was a fitting end to Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Venom, if it indeed concludes here. I, for one, hope it doesn’t. Tom Hardy deserves considerable praise for his compelling performance as one of the most complex characters in the Marvel universe. He was in a difficult position, playing a character that fell apart rather than evolved. I thought he played the role perfectly. He also gave Venom a bit less of an abrasive personality than most comic fans would be used to. It was one that fit these movies perfectly, aligning with the tone they were going for. Many people aren’t fans of this version of Venom. I feel like it was an entertaining take on a brooding character.

Final Thoughts

Venom: The Last Dance was a good cap to a solid trilogy that wasn’t afraid to take audiences in many different directions. I don’t think it’s the greatest movie of all time, but it was a nice conclusion for a couple of characters of whom I’ve become very fond. A new villain and characters were introduced, and there were many laughs on the way to the climactic final battle. We even got to reminisce a little bit. What more do you need from a superhero movie?