When a person looks past all of the grease and grime, Venom turns out to be an energetic movie with fun lead characters.
Venom is Sony Pictures’ first film in Sony’s Marvel Universe. Though it has a lot of potential, most of the chances taken fall short of anything worthwhile.
Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock, a former journalist who comes in contact with an alien symbiote and becomes Venom. He attempts to stop Carlton Drake/Riot (Riz Ahmed) from wiping out every human on Earth. This plot seems like the basic, superhero plot.
For everything that he is given, Hardy has fun with the role, and he plays the Venom Symbiote as something that only wants to eat humans, which it does.
This film may not rack up at the Oscars, but it’s sure to be a cult classic among Marvel fans.
With the basic plot, each actor plays their roles genuine but generic. Ahmed is the evil businessman that only wishes to wipe out unnecessary humans. Michelle Williams plays Anne Weying, the ex-fiancee who still loves our hero. Eddie Brock and Venom are the only fleshed out characters, but everything they do is over the top.
Though things about this movie are basic, it still leaves the viewer with a fun time. Most of the dialogue between Venom and Brock is hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud in the theater when Venom tells Eddie to jump out of a window, but Eddie takes the elevator instead. You’ll have to check out the movie to find out why this part is so funny.
This film is not revolutionary. It will not make you look at superhero films in a new way. In fact, a large portion of the audience may hate this film, but ultimately it will allow you to have fun. The interactions between Eddie and Venom are the best part of the film.
There are two post-credit scenes in the film. By now, Marvel fans expect there to be at least one post-credit scene.
Venom is a fun, missed opportunity. It had the potential to truly jump-start Sony’s Marvel Universe. However, the basic plot and the generic characters hold back this movie from being anything more than just another superhero film.
The world will have to see if Sony can do better in December when it releases Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
