Film: Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

Thoughts: Like with the previous two venom films, the franchise always seems to just fall short and not quite make it. The jokes are *just* not funny, the action is *just* not quite coherent, the story is *just* not quite interesting, the characters are *just* not quite deep. Venom: The Last Dance continues that standard and provides a fitting yet underwhelming end to the trilogy.

Eddie Brock is lost in the multiverse which is a good thing because he is a fugitive on the run after the events of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Before I even finished the sentence however he is whisked back through a wormhole to his original Earth and immediately set upon by the practically unstoppable minions of a mysterious evil intergalactic Warlord called Knull (played by Andy Serkis!). What follows is a road trip across America with some asides featuring a laid-back traveling family and Chiwetel Elijofor and Juno Temple has military and scientists respectively at the now defunct Area 51. Things eventually lead to a climax where multiple symbiotes come into play and death follows.

I appreciate the hell out of Tom Hardy, and his performance through all the films is and continues to be a whole lot of resigned and frustrated fun. What I found interesting is that the film is directed by Kelly Marcel, the story is written by Hardy and Marcel, and they were both major producers on the film. Makes me think that there was a vision at work here and maybe I'm not catching what they're trying to put down, but looking at it purely for what it is, if this did not feature the character of venom, would I forgive the film? Would I forgive the trilogy? I don't think I'd even be interested.

In each film I feel a lack of investment in any one aspect of the production. The action is hard to track, more than a Transformers film, and generally lacks any real weight. The characters aim for dramatic moments but the overall effect isn't one of true connection. The humour which makes up a significant section of each film is frequently not funny and delivered in manners that don't quite match the material. This isn't a statement on what should or shouldn't be in a film but more so whether or not what is being presented actually works. There isn't really a punchline I suppose. I also found a real issue with this film in particular where I had trouble understanding the dialogue of many characters both human and symbiote alike. 

On the plus side it's fun, my kids like it and there are worse films out there. I genuinely don't feel like watching it again though 😂

5/10