“Venom,” released in 2018, was Sony’s first foray into a Spider-Man cinematic universe without Spider-Man. This gamble that would require villains to hold up without their greatest hero. Surprisingly, it paid off with a box office gross of $850 million dollars, which propelled the next six years of Sony-verse (the name of Sony’s Spider-Man universe) into creation. Unfortunately, here in 2024, those days of box-office hits are long gone.
“Venom: The Last Dance” is the third film and the last movie of the Sony-verse, so it serves as a send off to the franchise and the character of Venom. This film follows Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy and his infectious parasite Venom as they get up to their usual hijinks of running away from generic military types and dealing with a supernatural macguffin. The movie’s plot is extremely formulaic, taking away from the film’s satisfying conclusion.
The best way to describe this film is as simply random. Everything about this movie feels somewhat disjointed and chaotic. There are points that are meant to be chaotic, like the fights and CGI, which help elevate the film and make it feel more fun. However, everything else in the movie, from the script to the editing to just the general aesthetic, feel very lost and disconnected.
None of the characters, other than Venom/Eddie Brock, get more than one layer. They are all very generic, from the hard-headed military general to the curious, kooky scientist, no one is given an extra dimension to grow and develop in. They are all extremely forgettable, with no point to even try remembering anyone’s name. This is incredibly unfortunate in this film as the cast is loaded with pedigreed actors, like Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rhys Ifans. Even Tom Hardy is an incredible actor, but he plays these movies like a coked up idiot, screaming his way to the end of the film.
The film is not without its positives, even with all the unfortunate sludge Venom fans need to trudge through to find them. It is clear that this film was meant to be a love letter to Venom fans, in the same way “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was a love letter to Spiderman fans. There are lots of references to classic Venom comics, with brief appearances from Lasher and Knull, kings of the symbiotes. However, these fan-service moments are extremely rare and short, making it a difficult challenge for most to wait for.
A positive of this film is that it is short. At just 109 minutes long, “The Last Dance” doesn’t overstay its welcome and keeps the plot moving along, even if that pace becomes a trudge during certain character interactions or monologues. By keeping the story mostly compact, there is a higher focus on delivering more enjoyable moments for audiences. The fights are as hyper-violent and comedic as the last two. The buddy cop rapport between Eddie Brock and Venom is consistent.
It truly is another “Venom” film, just not a great one.
