By Dolores Quintana
Venom: The Last Dance was very enjoyable and kind of sweet for a movie where a monster eats people’s heads. Don’t worry, it’s a PG-13 movie, so even those head crunches aren’t that gory or graphic. Basically, the movie is grounded in human emotion and characterization rather than spectacle which is why it is successful for me. Also, the thread of oddball humor, that blends well with the character of Venom, is very much appreciated.
All of the actors were terrific, but Tom Hardy was especially great in the dual role. It’s almost like Eddie has been turned into Job if Job was constantly robbed of his shoes by Fate. Hardy was so good as Venom and Eddie that the thought of it being The Last Dance was somewhat sad.
Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Clark Backo, and Peggy Lu stood out but everyone did fine work.
It’s funny and full of wonder but the main theme is about personal identity and people (or symbiotes) doing things for the greater good. It’s timely, for sure. For a Marvel / Superhero film, it’s got a nice horror edge and the actors’ belief in what they are doing sells the CGI, which is admittedly good and cool-looking. It’s a fantastic multi-dimensional comedy of errors with an especially endearing monster and his mostly grumpy human self.
When you put the right actors who are committed to the film in a superhero movie, it works. The film is ably directed by Kelly Marcel, who has co-written the previous entries in the Venom franchise and penned Let There Be Carnage and Last Dance in collaboration with Hardy. The two founded a theater company in London, with writer Brett C. Leonard, called The Bad Dog Theater Company.
Some people have called it a bromance, but I see it more as a buddy comedy where the buddies are in the same body. It is the best Marvel movie that I’ve seen in a while for sheer entertainment value, weirdness, and emphasis on human (and symbiote) interaction.
