With Spider-Man now fully entrusted (more like en-dusted) to the MCU, Sony is forced to rely on its other spider characters to start a cinematic universe of their own. And none could be better than the liquid, alien, prone-to-violence-and-comping-people’s-heads-off antihero that is Venom.
Tom Hardy (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Dark Knight Rises”) has a weird neurotic sensibility to his portrayal of investigative journalist Eddie Brock. He’s kind of an ass, but also a clear savant at what he does, and Hardy plays his as well as the script allows him to. The same goes for the rest of the cast, with Michelle Williams (“My Week with Marilyn,” “Brokeback Mountain”), Jenny Slate (“Kroll Show,” “Parks and Recreation”), and Riz Ahmed (“Rogue One,” “Nightcrawler”) all doing the best they can with the terribly inconsistent scrip they were handed.
Director Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland”, “Thirty Minutes or Less”) and his writers: Jeff Pinkner (“The 5th Wave”, “The Dark Tower”), Kelly Marcel (“Saving Mr. Banks”, “Fifty Shades of Grey”) and Scott Rosenberg (“Kangaroo Jack”, “High Fidelity”) don’t leave their actors stranded with nothing to work from. Rather they just end up delivering a script that’s full of plot holes, and with equal parts great and awful lines that reek of the early 2000’s.
More so than most other action films, especially those that seem to want to spawn a franchise, there are continuity errors abound. One minute Venom mentions knowing everything that’s in Eddie’s head, then next minute, he asks a question he should very well know the answer to if he is indeed in his head.
The film also has an incredibly slow first 20 minutes. Funny how a movie called Venom and about Venom doesn’t really pick up until Venom enters the picture. And when he does, he does so in gloriously epic and hilarious fashion.
Because that’s the thing about this film: while its poorly paced, contains major writing inconsistencies, has a boring first 20 minutes, and ends on a really bad mid-credits scene, its still just so damn fun.
Hardy chews up the scenery every chance he gets, playing somewhat of a demented, constantly sweating version of a guy you love to hate. And he never wastes a minute of screen time, constantly giving audiences odd jokes to laugh at or weird moments of bonding with the liquid black alien killer. He also doubles as Venom’s voice actor, and it’s a two-part persona that works so well.
There’s also a relentlessness in the violence that is extremely satisfying to watch. As opposed to other superheroes who try to limit their destruction, or ones who simply feel bad about it, Venom has no problem biting people’s heads off and obliterating building interiors. Its in these sequences where the film’s excellent visual design for the anti-hero shine through as well. The first fight scene with Venom in Brock’s apartment is a particular highlight.
Ludwig Göransson’s (“Creed,” “Black Panther”) electric score helps to add to the film’s epic fight scenes, and it leaves most of the movie feeling like one big guitar riff: sure, it’s a lot of the same that you’ve heard before, but damn if its doesn’t still sound good.
“Venom” is a weirdly nostalgic film, as most of its problems and its overall feeling harken back to the early 2000’s and the glut of terrible but still somehow entertaining superhero films like “Blade Trinity”, “Fantastic Four” and “Daredevil.” There’s a twinkle in its eye, a desire to cause mayhem and just deliver the evil alien goods, regardless of the storytelling casualties it leaves in its wake.
“Venom” begs you not to look at its thin plot, non-existent supporting characters and poor pacing. It just wants you to focus on its wonderful visuals, its great musical score, its primal action and its overall sense of weirdness. Because “Venom” is a very weird, not so great film. But damn, is it fun. 3/5
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