This film is a 15, was released on October 3rd 2018, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS but there will be a discussion of post credit scenes which I consider MINOR SPOILERS at the end.
Introduction
You've heard me ramble on about superheroes and movies based off them for ages if you've been reading my reviews. And that's because I really enjoy them. You'll know I like them just because it's decent entertainment with enough heart and character to enjoy too. But 2017 and 18 have had so many hits in this sub-genre that all arguments about over-saturation feel redundant. It makes sense as there are vast amounts each year, but it's not a case of quantity over quality because nowadays, these movies have an incredible amount of passion put into them, and have even brought some indie directors to higher ground. But you can't have a genre without a dud, can you? This is where people suspected Venom would come in.
Thoughts Going In
The trailers for Venom looked quite good. Despite not being linked to the MCU, it still looked like something I'd enjoy, and I do like Tom Hardy. But as the release got closer, I had some reservations. The reviews were awful with many critics I respect saying it was bad. Followed by a surprising 15 certificate and limited showings at many cinemas. I was keen to see what this movie was, so I had very low expectations.
The Story
Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock, a reporter who loses his job after being too inquisitive in an interview. This also causes his relationship with Michelle Williams to end too. However, Eddie ends up in the life foundation where he lost his job and ends up with a substance called a Symbiote. This leads to a mysterious voice in his head, known as Venom. What follows is a Jekyll and Hyde style dynamic between Eddie and Venom as well as villainous plans to put a Symbiote in every human to prevent extinction.
What I Liked
Surprisingly, I did enjoy this film. There are enough well directed action scenes which keep it from feeling shallow. One in particular involves Eddie being chased on a bike as he discovers some of his new capabilities with the Venom powers. This involves some thrilling moments where strands of Symbiote stretch out and grab or swing from things and it is pretty creative. That was a stand out and the rest are decent enough too.
Hardy's performance was something I didn't think would work out, but the way he interacts with his alter-ego of Venom was the best part of the film. The dynamic between the two is entertaining, as it leads to some comic moments of disagreement or just arguing. I'm not a huge fan of how Hardy acted at some points but I'll elaborate later. The main thing is that this play-off between these two different characters was what kept the film afloat for me, I just wish it was explored in more detail as it really only scratched the surface. But what we got was good.
The visuals are amazing. The fluidity of the movement of the Symbiote strands was so mesmerising to watch. When Venom comes out to play by overtaking Eddie's entire body - like in the first transformation scene - or snaking out of his back to have a face-to-face conversation, it looks so beautiful. The details are so well refined and I really liked to watch it. There are some effects that don't work as well, but the small moments where nothing extreme or catastrophic is happening and we just see Venom being Venom, it had me transfixed.
I think as a 15 the film works just fine. Obviously, it isn't as great as other 15 Marvel movies, most notably Deadpool or Deadpool 2, but like the latter, the certificate matches the tone of the film as it is quite brutal, occasionally scary and filled with horrific imagery, which would've been undercut with a 12. I appreciate the studio not playing it safe and trying to make something tonally different in terms of a superhero movie. There aren't that many horror-esque ones out there.
I think as a 15 the film works just fine. Obviously, it isn't as great as other 15 Marvel movies, most notably Deadpool or Deadpool 2, but like the latter, the certificate matches the tone of the film as it is quite brutal, occasionally scary and filled with horrific imagery, which would've been undercut with a 12. I appreciate the studio not playing it safe and trying to make something tonally different in terms of a superhero movie. There aren't that many horror-esque ones out there.
What I Didn't Like
This movie is somehow rushed and bloated at the same time in the first half. I'm not joking, but the first whole hour was essentially Venom-less, or at least it felt that way. The set up before the powers meet the hero usually takes somewhere between 30 and 40 minutes. Here, it takes ages to get going. In the showing I was at, I knew what time it was due to finish, so when we had our first great action scene, there was literally about 30 minutes to go. That set up should've been condensed. But what's more crazy is the fact that the set up is badly paced too. It jumps from one thing to the next very flippantly. Symbiotes arrive on earth, Eddie has a good job, Eddie gets fired and breaks up, experiments with Symbiotes go awry, Eddie gets the Symbiote and then some action. It feels like there are some pieces that connect those scenes missing, to me. All I'm saying is that there is a good chunk of this movie in which we have no Venom, and it results in some boring scenes. I suppose that now we have the origin out of the way, any sequels will have more Venom.
Another complaint, THIS MOVIE IS SO LOUD!!!! There are action scenes where Venom fights another Symbiote called Riot (which leads to a cliche hero vs villain with similar suit / powers) and it is so noisy. It's either explosions, unnecessary roaring, giant blades slashing things, cars crashing and tons more. As a result, there is some fatigue as it gets tiring after a while to see more boom, crash, bang. Additionally, the effects on the big fights are weirdly less engaging than watching the slimy strands slither around at a very slow pace. Maybe I'm just fascinated by the little things.
The direction is bad in places. Before I go on, I think Tom Hardy is brilliant. He is one of the most talented actors working today. The fact that he's British too is also nice for me. He can do so much with his material. For example, in Dunkirk he has a mask which obscures most of his face, but yet you still feel every emotion due to his expressive face and somewhat minimal dialogue. Here, I think he was directed badly. He's sort of doing the same thing as Mark Ruffalo in the Avengers franchise, in that he's kind of introverted, enclosed and awkward, all because he has a radically different alter-ego he doesn't want to come out. However, Tom overdoes it on some occasions. He goes a bit crazy in a restaurant in one scene and because he's not being very expressive with his movements, it feels restrained, as if he's holding back all he can really do. And in terms of comparison with Ruffalo, the latter is only better because those traits are more suited to him as an actor and the directing in all his film appearances is far superior to this. Again, Tom is great and I have no issue with him, it's the direction on him which I think is weak. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.
Conclusion
Overall, I'd say people are being a bit harsh on Venom. Apart from some weak direction, noisy action scenes and a slow, bloated first half which makes for less Venom time, this is a perfectly fine watch with a good central performance, an interesting dynamic between the two characters, neat visuals and some stand out moments. Obviously I can't say it's an Infinity War level of film, nor is it Deadpool in terms of being in the 15 category, but it works well enough and doesn't fall into the common trap of having the need to kickstart a new universe throughout the whole runtime. If you're quite a jaded fan of Marvel comics then this will pass the time just fine for you, but as for me, I can't say I'll be rewatching this any time soon, maybe if it ends up on Netflix I'll stick it on. My friend made a good comparison with Solo: A Star Wars Story - they're both very much in the shadow of other movies with the same brand attached to them, but it works well enough as its own thing with some decent action and performances. And it isn't the dud of the genre this year to me, I think Aquaman will probably hold that title.
I'm going to give Venom an O
Spoiler Talk
Obviously, there are some post credit scenes which suggest different things for Sony's future with the Marvel licence. The mid-credits scene has a brief moment of the very talented Woody Harrelson who plays Carnage, who to my understanding is another Symbiote? Whatever it is, it sets up another film which I think will either be called 'Carnage' or perhaps 'Venom 2'. If so, I hope there is more fun action like the bike chase in this movie, along with less noise during so.
The post-credits scene was weirdly an overlong clip from the upcoming Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse. Not surprising considering that's another Sony / Marvel movie but odd when you factor in that it'll probably be a PG at most and thus for a very different audience than the main film people came to see. There was also a trailer for it beforehand. The first two trailers had me very excited because they looked different, a Sony Pictures Animation movie that looks like it'll have depth, emotion and some terrific visuals. But this new one scares me that it'll just be a generic kids movie, with bad jokes and too many characters, most of which will probably be a comic relief. But the long sequence after the credits seems visually interesting and the action is well directed, so not all hope is lost and I definitely will see it.
Technically that last scene wasn't after all the credits, so I don't know if those two were all that was shown, because I left after the Spidey one. I can't missed much though, I'm sure that was all.
Conclusion
Overall, I'd say people are being a bit harsh on Venom. Apart from some weak direction, noisy action scenes and a slow, bloated first half which makes for less Venom time, this is a perfectly fine watch with a good central performance, an interesting dynamic between the two characters, neat visuals and some stand out moments. Obviously I can't say it's an Infinity War level of film, nor is it Deadpool in terms of being in the 15 category, but it works well enough and doesn't fall into the common trap of having the need to kickstart a new universe throughout the whole runtime. If you're quite a jaded fan of Marvel comics then this will pass the time just fine for you, but as for me, I can't say I'll be rewatching this any time soon, maybe if it ends up on Netflix I'll stick it on. My friend made a good comparison with Solo: A Star Wars Story - they're both very much in the shadow of other movies with the same brand attached to them, but it works well enough as its own thing with some decent action and performances. And it isn't the dud of the genre this year to me, I think Aquaman will probably hold that title.
I'm going to give Venom an O
Spoiler Talk
Obviously, there are some post credit scenes which suggest different things for Sony's future with the Marvel licence. The mid-credits scene has a brief moment of the very talented Woody Harrelson who plays Carnage, who to my understanding is another Symbiote? Whatever it is, it sets up another film which I think will either be called 'Carnage' or perhaps 'Venom 2'. If so, I hope there is more fun action like the bike chase in this movie, along with less noise during so.
The post-credits scene was weirdly an overlong clip from the upcoming Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse. Not surprising considering that's another Sony / Marvel movie but odd when you factor in that it'll probably be a PG at most and thus for a very different audience than the main film people came to see. There was also a trailer for it beforehand. The first two trailers had me very excited because they looked different, a Sony Pictures Animation movie that looks like it'll have depth, emotion and some terrific visuals. But this new one scares me that it'll just be a generic kids movie, with bad jokes and too many characters, most of which will probably be a comic relief. But the long sequence after the credits seems visually interesting and the action is well directed, so not all hope is lost and I definitely will see it.
Technically that last scene wasn't after all the credits, so I don't know if those two were all that was shown, because I left after the Spidey one. I can't missed much though, I'm sure that was all.
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