‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Review: Clumsy Superhero Clunker Has Two Left Feet

If it’s possible for a billion-dollar franchise to accrue a “cult following,” the Venom films have done so. The original film, a massive domestic hit and an outright phenomenon overseas, was considered by many to be some sort of pulpy, campy subversion, playing on tropes more resembling romantic comedies than those of modern superhero films. It’s hard to argue that a film in which Tom Hardy jumps into a lobster tank and devours a living crustacean with the same ferocity Choi Min-sik had chowing down on an octopus in Oldboy is taking itself terribly seriously, and many moviegoers latched onto that unique element of an otherwise generic film and a blockbuster franchise was born. At best, you could call the Venom series succulent trash cinema, but Venom: The Last Dance isn’t even able to achieve that level of quality. The schlocky antics end up being completely at odds with the surprising sentimentality of the series’ (supposed) final entry, resulting in a film that is neither fish nor fowl, a work without a defined point of view. Add in one of the more bafflingly faceless, passive “big bads” of recent studio tent poles and Venom: The Last Dance ends up being one of the more misguided films of the year. 

Set in the immediate aftermath of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, The Last Dance finds former journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his symbiotic ally, Venom, on the run from authorities after being falsely accused of killing a California detective. Meanwhile, in a galaxy far, far away (or something like that), intergalactic supervillain Knull, who spends almost the entirety of his screen time angrily looking down so that all we see is the top of his head. Knull sends his nameless monster pawns to destroy Eddie and Venom, which shines a light on one of the film’s greatest weaknesses: it doesn’t have a villain we care about, whatsoever. This decision is, perhaps, in an effort to underline that the relationship between Eddie and Venom is the true center of the story, but when the dressing around that entrée is the requisite superhero action and drama that has defined the last 15 years of blockbuster filmmaking, that element of the film at least needs to be engaging. Disposable, non-verbal baddies do not make for engaging foes and makes the main thrust of the movie feel entirely weightless.

The film’s B-plot, which is the movie’s more successful portion, involves the decommissioning of Area 51 and the even more secret Area 54 that sits just below it. Area 54 features a futuristic lab where research on alien symbiotes (like Venom) is done. The lead scientist in the facility is Dr. Payne, played by the always reliable Juno Temple, who has a mysterious childhood history with supernatural and/or alien phenomena that motivated her to further explore the world of symbiotes. Through a series of misadventures, Venom and Eddie end up hitching a ride with a family on their way to get one last view of Area 51 before it’s gone for good. The patriarch is played by Rhys Ifans, who adds an extra dash of loose silliness to the endeavor. Structurally, there is a satisfaction in knowing that these two threads will eventually converge, and the juxtaposition between the super-serious science facility and the zany conspiracy theorists works because it is grounded in a familiar, real-world dynamic. Unlike the film’s main throughline, the Area 51 elements allow characters to playfully interact every now and then, though we are also treated to an abundance of exposition from a character whose appearance is somewhat of a surprise and will remain unnamed and Super Serious Army Man, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who continues to be underserved in today’s Hollywood landscape. 

It’s all fairly paint-by-numbers, occasionally elevated by that off-kilter tone that has come to define the series. The elevation of Venom into a comedy-first presence is taken even further in The Last Dance, as he executes musical numbers in Vegas and constantly quips in Eddie’s mind. Then, unexpectedly and out of nowhere, Venom confronts Eddie about the lack of love in his life and what could have been with his ex-girlfriend, played by Michelle Williams in the first two films and who must have had better things to do this time around. The film gets achingly, distractingly sincere at certain points, most notably in a nauseatingly saccharine montage at the end of the film set to Maroon 5’s “Memories” that could appropriately be described as embarrassing. That is the odd balancing act that Venom: The Last Dance never finds the center of. The Venom films have a combination of zany antics, postmodern snark (thanks, Deadpool), and heart on sleeve sincerity. In The Last Dance, the levels are off and they operate like oil and water. There is an incongruity to the film that makes for violent tonal swings that surprise in a jarring, off-putting way rather than being a clever upending of expectations.

As one would expect, the story culminates with a big battle in the desert full of big explosions and some fun applications of Venom’s stretchy, gooey abilities, including some fun bits on a motorbike. It’s all shallow and tedious, with an added bonus of the film confusing “more” with “better” with regard to symbiote manpower, only further watering down the heroes and villains. The film’s biggest swing comes during its finale, which is undeniably powerful. The effects and performances are at their best here, as Tom Hardy does what he does best: act with his eyes. Music swells, we see the reactions from every single important character in the film. It feels like a real moment, a culmination of a three film arc. To call it moving would be a bit of a stretch, but the film has weight for the first time; you feel something for this black blob. The film peaks not during its action climax, but at its emotional climax, which is not something you can say about most superhero movies.

Venom: The Last Stand once again over-plays its hand in the final minutes with more and more schmaltz lathered on, leaving a bad taste on the way out the door. Will anyone remember Venom and its two sequels in twenty years? Probably not. The series has had some interesting swings that help occasionally cover the mediocre bones of the enterprise and it seems, at least in the short-term, the series has garnered some love from a certain sector of the wider audience. The films are harmless, even if they seem to have stolen what could have been Tom Hardy’s prime dramatic years from us, and do not represent some sort of dying of the cinematic light in the ways that some other franchise films do. Still, if this is the last dance (and you already know they leave the door open for future spin-offs), it is at least nice knowing that the series’ true architect, Kelly Marcel- who wrote all three films, got a stab at directing a story she clearly has great passion for. The film is sloppy, it’s misshapen, and it’s crass, but hey, that’s Venom.

Grade: D+

Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures will release Venom: The Last Dance only in theaters on October 25.