Title: Venom: The Last Dance
Director: Kelly Marcel
Cast: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Alanna Ubach, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Cristo Fernandez, Peggy Lu
Where: In theatres near you
Rating: 3 Stars
This film starts with the hope of bringing an electrifying end to the wacky, wild symbiotic escapades of Eddie Brock and his inky black buddy, Venom. Sadly, the film stumbles through a series of missteps, leaving even die-hard fans of the franchise wondering if this final entry is more of a farewell dance or a half-hearted shuffle.
Tom Hardy, as ever, fully commits to both Eddie and Venom, but the film fails to match his intensity. The chaotic charm of the earlier films, driven by Hardy’s manic energy, feels diluted here. This narrative is bogged down by a narrative too busy setting up new plotlines while wrapping up unnecessary ones. Director Kelly Marcel, who co-wrote the previous films, takes the helm but struggles to maintain the absurdity without letting it devolve into a formulaic mess. The result is a film that lacks the punch of its predecessors.
The film’s attempt at blending action, humour, and heart lands in awkward territory. We’re meant to care about Eddie and Venom’s bromantic bond, yet the movie hardly delves into their relationship with any depth. The pair’s usual back-and-forth banter feels repetitive, and the gags—such as Venom’s affinity for slot machines and ABBA—run thin quickly. The plot, involving a magic cortex and a Big Bad brewing off-screen, adds little suspense, and the audience might find themselves zoning out during the chaotic third act, which is heavy on explosions but light on emotional stakes.
The cast, including Rhys Ifans, Juno Temple, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, feels underutilized, with each giving performances that seem disconnected. Ifans’ UFO-hunting family adds an odd distraction, Temple’s subplot is forgettable, and Ejiofor’s military character is a flat, generic antagonist. Knull, a looming potential threat, remains so sidelined that his inclusion feels unnecessary, serving as blatant sequel bait. For a film supposedly wrapping up a trilogy, this lack of resolution and focus on setting up future instalments feels like a disservice to the story and audience.
Visually, the film is par for today’s superhero landscape. There’s the usual CGI spectacle, though none of it feels particularly fresh. The alien Xenophages—Venom’s foes in this outing—are visually grotesque but ultimately lack the kind of presence that would make them memorable. And while the frenetic action sequences deliver noise and destruction, they lack the inventive edge of the earlier films.
For viewers unfamiliar with the larger Venom universe, this film might hold some appeal. It is brief, mercifully in comparison to many recent superhero marathons, and its goofiness may be enough to entertain those not invested in its lore. However, for fans who have followed Venom’s journey from the first film, this finale feels like a letdown—a final note in a series that could have gone out with a bang but instead, limps to a close.
Ultimately, this film is a passable, if forgettable, entry in a franchise that had once seemed promising. It’s neither terrible nor triumphant, just a tepid ending to a trilogy that probably should have danced its way out a little sooner.
