“Venom: The Last Dance” is an incredibly frustrating movie because its center is such an interesting and entertaining element, but it’s surrounded by way too much uneven nonsense. The “Venom” series has always been lackluster yet propelled by Tom Hardy’s dual performance as Eddie Brock and the Symbiote. Watching the actor be in full gonzo mode as he spars with himself, while also voicing the playfully extreme alien, is truly a fun thing to behold and always engaging. But despite this jewel, the rest of the films have provided incredibly disparate moments of bad exposition, awkward attempts at pathos, surprisingly fun violent action, boring set pieces, and more bits that never gel into a cohesive whole. The third entry, “Venom: The Last Dance,” is no exception and is easily the weakest of the trilogy. First time feature director Kelly Marcel (who co-wrote the script with Hardy, based on various Marvel comics, and wrote the previous two installments as well) manages to get some good turns from her cast and there’s definitely a few very solid sequences, but mostly it’s a big mess that can’t balance out its various emotions and aims, but instead feels like an unfortunate, self-important slog.
After their drunken multiversal jaunt (as seen in the post credits for “Spider-Man: No Way Home”), Eddie Brock/Venom (Hardy) are still in Mexico and still being pursued by the authorities. Unbeknownst to them, they are also being pursued by a shadowy government agency headed by an aggressive general (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a sympathetic scientist (Juno Temple). And, if that weren’t enough, in the far reaches of the cosmos, Knull, an ancient being that was imprisoned by the symbiotes, is seeking something that only Venom has and has dispatched his monstrous xenophages to reclaim it, no matter who gets in the way. If Knull escapes his prison, then that may mean the end of life as we know it…everywhere. As Brock/Venom make their way to New York, they will find themselves tested by all these obstacles and may be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Somehow, the juxtaposition of the brain-eating monster being giddily adorable always works in the “Venom” movies. It should have been a tired gimmick halfway through the first one in 2018, yet it still amuses as the alien’s gruff voice (Hardy) sings along to David Bowie or adorably gushes over a “horsey.” Paired with Hardy’s physical acting as being out of spastically out of control, all while the duo bicker in loving old couple fashion, and it is a winning formula. Why then is there so little of it in these films? With “Let There Be Carnage,” it at least made sense since they were separated for most of the run time (and in fact, that allows the symbiote character to shine brightest). But here it’s pushed back for lots of exposition and new characters that muddies the water more than creates a substantive whole. If this is the concluding chapter of Brock/Venom, why add so much mythology and new situations at the very end? It’s appreciated that the general and the scientist are fleshed out characters, complete with real arcs, but it also feels superfluous and time that would’ve been better spent with our main characters.
The screenplay is ultimately the downfall of “Venom: The Last Dance” as so much of it lacks any urgency. You’d think with so many moving parts and a clear delineation of objectives that each scene would flow implicitly into the next and everything feels necessary. But it doesn’t really move along at any real pace despite these narrative outlines, instead feeling like it meanders without much payoff. And if it’s going to wander about so much, listlessly, why not fill up that time with the main attraction of Brock/Venom dynamic instead of these shadowy government types, or more information about the origins of the symbiotes, or Knull, or whatever?
There are some solid sequences of action and comedy in that work well and highlight the promise of the character and potential of the story. There’s one particularly good set piece in the middle of “Venom: The Last Dance” where Brock and Venom are separated and Venom has to hop animal hosts to get back to his human that is visually dynamic, clever, and a lot of fun to experience. And the action, particularly with the xenophage, is surprisingly bloody, and yet never hits with any real impact. That’s always been the issue with “Venom,” whether it’s the CG or disappointing blocking or something else; there is real violence in these movies, but it always feels ephemeral and lacks the bite (pardon the pun) that is needed to really sell those moments. Still, it’s a pleasant surprise to see such brutality in a PG-13 movie especially when mixed with some cool monster designs and clever use of symbiotes.
“Venom: The Last Dance” isn’t awful, it’s just really aggravating. Marcel’s film has a ton of potential in a cast that’s clearly game and centered on a terrifically entertaining performance from Hardy. When it’s having fun, “The Last Dance” is infectiously delightful, but those moments are too far and few in between. Attempts at deeper emotions fall flat and an unnecessarily cluttered narrative further detracts from its greatest strengths. If this is the last ride for Hardy, it’s a deflated note to go out on and his contributions deserved a better swan song. It’s not flat out bad, but “Venom: The Last Dance” is a frustrating experience because it’s obvious just how much potential is squandered in this third entry.
3 / 5 Stars
Starring: Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Alanna Ubach, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Peggy Lu, Stephen Graham
Directed by: Kelly Marcel
