Venom: The Last Dance Is Bad on Purpose

As a seasoned film enthusiast with a penchant for superhero movies and a touch of cynicism baked into my popcorn-stained soul, I must say that Venom: The Last Dance feels more like a last gasp than a grand finale. It’s a movie that seems to be in on the joke, but not quite sure if it’s supposed to be a comedy or a tragedy.

Venom: The Last Dance

Have any of the Venom films been well-received? The original was essentially an unusual production that relied on Tom Hardy’s portrayal of his character’s transition from investigative journalist to carnivorous vigilante as a one-man buddy comedy. The subsequent installments have been saddled with being part of this joke, and they’ve amplified it with increasingly humorous elements such as Venom cooking breakfast (as seen in Venom: Let There Be Carnage) and Venom dancing to ABBA (as he does in Venom: The Last Dance, where screenwriter Kelly Marcel takes on directing duties). Hardy has consistently been captivating throughout the series, but his character never looks cool, even when stealing a tuxedo from a drunk man who happens to urinate on him. However, Hardy is one of our era’s great leading eccentrics, and his ability to make these half-hearted productions somewhat watchable by fully committing to them doesn’t feel like much of an achievement. After three films, it makes one wonder if a more daring approach wouldn’t be beneficial for everyone involved, rather than just inserting a subversively odd performance into a franchise film.

In essence, “Venom: The Last Dance” is primarily a travel-themed movie where Tom Hardy’s character, Eddie Brock, embarks on an unexpected journey from Mexico to the Nevada desert. His destination was supposed to be New York, but he finds himself in a remote area hosting Imperium, a secret research facility run by Dr. Teddy Payne and General Rex Strickland. This is less about travel and more about events colliding. Both Eddie and Venom are sought after by Imperium for their symbiote studies, while also attracting the attention of one of Knull’s minions. The Eddie-Venom duo plays a crucial role in Knull’s release, although the minion can only detect them when they’re fully transformed into their menacing black form. Unfortunately, this means we see more of Venom as a disembodied head emerging from Eddie’s back and various forms such as Horse Venom, Fish Venom, and Frog Venom. The duo tries to avoid capture by Imperium and these minions, who can leap great distances, are immune to conventional attacks, and have a flesh-shredding mouth. Despite some visual effects that could be improved, they appear less janky in this installment compared to the previous two.

The Last Dance” seems to intentionally present confusion and poor quality, despite occasional attempts to address themes like regret and mortality. It includes unrelated subplots such as Dr. Payne’s brother’s death, a road-tripping hippie family, and a retcon of the post-credits scene from “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The mystery character in the control booth remains unexplained, adding to the sense of chaos. The movie appears to mock its audience with a montage set to Maroon 5, suggesting it never intended to be sincere or meaningful. In essence, the film seems to be winking at its viewers, implying that they are aware of the movie’s intentions but the audience is still buying tickets.

2024-10-23 22:53

Venom: The Last Dance Is Bad on Purpose

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