DIRECTOR: Andy Serkis
PRODUCERS: Avi Arad & Amy Pascal & Tom Hardy & Kelly Marcel & Matt Tolmach &
Hutch Parker
WRITERS: Tom Hardy (story) & Kelly Marcel (story/screenplay)
PERFORMERS: Tom Hardy Woody Harrelson Michelle Williams Naomie Harris
Stephen Graham Reid Scott
Venom has been known to be one Spider-Man's main and memorable villains of all time, not to mention one of the most formidable foes of the Spidey universe. But I had forgotten he was something else: an anti-hero, which is a villain being the hero taking on villainous threats. This next entry into the Marvel universe is a no-brainer and certainly no exception. Here, our anti-hero Venom aka Eddie Brock (played once again by Tom Hardy, who also co-wrote and co-produced this film) takes on a formidable foe even superior to him, this was perhaps the first time in a long time I had ever been surprised by something of this nature given my original viewing of the Venom character. This is my review of VENOM: Let there be Carnage.
When the first film came out in 2018 I was very skeptical and yes, hesitant about it because I was so used to seeing Venom in a Spider-Man driven storyline because that's where he originated from. I missed the opportunity, but the build-up for this entry got me remembering... I had read the solo comic books growing up; and the last thing I remember was when Brock went toe to toe with some unpleasant crooks, then he transformed into Venom and the rest is history. Why I remember that so well is because it was the one of the only anti-hero stories of his that I read. So when this came out, I wasn't too hyped up for it, but decided to give it chance for the sake of how interesting it looked. Much to my surprise, that's exactly what it turned out to be. Hardy's performance as Brock/Venom really carries the film from start to finish and he really proves that maybe there's two sides to everyone after all. The interactions between the two characters, despite the other being an entity lifeform, is very interesting to look at and the more you listen to, the deeper and deeper you go into with them. Even when Venom gets out on his own, you think you're seeing him for the first time as another being who just wants to do his own thing and survive. Meanwhile, Brock is down on his luck and what better way to rebuild his reputation than an interview with a serial killer? Woody Harrelson, for as long as I can remember, has been one of the most impressive character actors I have ever seen. He's come a long way from playing misguided or supporting characters and in this one he really stands out as Cletus Kassidy aka Carnage.
The performances are all stellar ones from a stellar cast including Michelle Williams as Brock ex-girlfriend and Stephen Graham as a hard-nosed cop who's just looking for answers. But the one supporting character I was hooked on the most was Naomie Harris, who played Kassidy's love interest, mainly because her portrayal was an immediate recap of a character she played in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Using al her traits she brought to those films, I thought I was looking at the sister to the Pirates character she played all those years ago! But it helped because in this one, she actually played it to the core and looked like the only thing about this film that was vulnerable. Her vulnerability and her importance to Harrelson's Kassidy kind of made you root for them in a way; but when Carnage comes on screen, all bets are off. The effects are a bit cheesy, but the pacing of the story if you follow it very closely is not to far fetched nor rushed and I found myself liking this film because of that. Under the direction of Andy Serkis, this has proven that not every villain has to be bad and it takes one to beat one. What I did like about this film was it's true to the material source: the rivalry between Venom and Carnage, Brock's countless attempts to get his life back on track and for not being so over the top cheesy or forced kind of films some have been getting lately.
While some would say it was this or that, I would say this was a well done effort. I didn't even need to see the first film to get it right away. If you're a comic book nerd like I was in the past, you already know what's up. But if you're not, then you need to do some catching up with the 2018 entry. Somehow this film was the first of it's kind to grab my attention and keep me interested. There had been other villain led films like The Suicide Squad (which I absolutely hated, though Will Smith and Margot Robbie were the only two good things about that movie), but this one proved that even the worst of villains can be the heroes. Watching Venom and Carnage go at it was also quite a spectacular thing to watch too, as it was visually stunning! I felt I was immersed into an actual real live comic book, especially near the end during the finale climax. This may not have been my typical 'going to get it when it comes out' kind of movie, but I did enjoy it very much. This is not a crap-fest, this is not a cheesy effects kind of film or even a empty soulless film, but one that is a real surprising crowd pleaser and worth a view or so even if you don't know the anti-hero aspect of Venom. Even Spider-Man wouldn't have anything to say about it because he's not involved in this one. Do I recommend this one, visually: yes; personally: that's left up to you. But if you haven't read the comic books, at least give it a shot and you'll see where this is coming from.
Let there be revelations, let there be surprises or in this case... (hence the title) Carnage! I wonder what Stan Lee would think if he were here to see this. As for all you Venom fans out there; don't miss out on this... you'd be surprised how it turns out in the end.
MY RATING: 2 and 1/2 out of 4 stars