Venom: The Last Dance isn’t a great movie. However, the Tom Hardy-led Spider-Man villain series that doesn’t mention Spider-Man is better than Sony’s recent live-action comic book films.
Venom: The Last Dance rides on the buddy cop chemistry between Eddie Brock and his symbiote, Venom. The film completes the trilogy by going on a final adventure that involves preventing Venom’s creator, Knull, from ending all of existence.
During Eddie and Venom’s adventure, they encounter the military, scientists studying symbiotes, and a family with an interest in aliens . Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor) leads the military and research outfit operating out of Area-51, Imperium. He’s hellbent on removing the symbiotes from Earth but must collaborate with the scientists researching the alien creatures. Dr. Teddy Payne (Juno Temple) leads the science team. She lends an empathetic ear to their plea.
Ejiofor is a terrific actor but doesn’t have anything interesting to play. Rex is a staunch believer in snuffing out the aliens, and that’s about it. Temple, a gifted comedic performer who can dabble in dramatic territory, is miscast here as the lead scientist. Clark Backo delivers a more nuanced and exciting performance as Sadie Christmas, a researcher who is essentially Teddy’s right-hand woman.
Eddie and Venom also meet a family while on the run. Martin Moon (Rhys Ifans) is an alien enthusiast taking his family on a trip to see Area 51.
Venom: The Last Dance isn’t anywhere close to MCU quality. Too many storylines take the focus away from Eddie and Venom’s journey. While the opportunity to learn more about the symbiotes is a cool idea, beyond the reveal of Knull, not much is unearthed. Despite coming in under 2-hours, the film drags quite often.
Fortunately, the chemistry between Eddie and Venom is the best it’s been. A great brotherly bond between them makes the adventure whenever they’re on screen a blast. It’s a shame that Hardy has never shared the screen with Spider-Man in this role. The CGI is fantastic throughout the film.
Overall, Venom: The Last Dance is probably the best of the trilogy. I found the first film’s tone offputting, but it’s a better film than the 2nd one. If you don’t like the tone of the first two films, then you probably will find little to like about The Last Dance.
Here’s a closer look at Venom and Eddie’s final adventure. The first Venom film is available to stream on Disney Plus.
A Final Adventure in Venom: The Last Dance
Eddie and Venom begin Venom: The Last Dance in a Mexico bar. Eddie looks beaten down, but a cocktail mixing scene shows the symbiotic relationship between alien and host.
They’re on the run following the events in the 2nd film. The goal is to reach New York City and start fresh. They try to hitch a ride on a plane Tom Cruise-style, but are rudely interrupted by alien attacker. The duo sets out for New York via symbiote horseback, but are attacked by Strickland’s men.
They wind up getting away from Strickland and meet the Moon family. The family is on the way to Nevada to see Area-51. The Moon’s are kooky but friendly. They offer Eddie a ride to Las Vegas. Venom plays slots for the first time and dances with Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu).
The overall brotherly bond between the two in Venom: The Last Dance is the best in the trilogy. They still bicker but there’s never a hint of Eddie wanting to part from Venom. One of the most endearing running gags throughout the film is Venom’s desire to see the statue of liberty. The famous Staten Island landmark was designed as a beacon for visitors to which Eddie points out includes Venom.
Knull in Void
Since the creator of the symbiotes was already revealed in trailer, I feel content in talking about the big bad’s involvement in the film. Without spoiling what happens, Knull is barely in film. Knull, performed by Andy Serkis (he directed the 2nd film), sounds great.
He created the symbiotes to conquer and destroy, but wanting to appreciate all that life has to offer, his children rebelled. They imprisoned Knull and Venom took the codex. Anytime Venom is in his complete form, Knull can use one of his henchmen to track them down. The only way to destroy the codex is to kill Venom or the host (Eddie).
Unfortunately, that’s about it as far the the villain’s motivation. It’s essentially Thanos’s goal minus the altruistic purpose of his destructive mission.
Venom: The Last Dance Final Thoughts
Venom: The Last Dance isn’t a terrible film. The Eddie-Venom dynamic is pretty fun. Unfortunately, everything else about the film is forgettable.
The Review
Venom: The Last Dance
PROS
- Tom Hardy is great as both Eddie and Venom.
- Good CGI.
- Andy Serkis has a great voice.
CONS
- Too many storylines.
- Juno Temple is miscast and Chiwetel Ejiofor is wasted.
- Not enough Knull
