When the first Venom movie released in 2018, few people expected it to be a hit. With a lesser-known superhero and a mix of humor and action, the film seemed risky, but it ended up making over $850 million worldwide, surprising everyone. The 2021 sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, was also a box office success, grossing $500 million. Now the latest Venom movie Venom: The Last Dance has arrived, and while it tries to keep the momentum going, it ends the series on a bland note.
Venom: The Last Dance picks up where the last movie ended: Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and the alien symbiote Venom are still struggling to coexist as the police hunt them down for a murder they didn’t actually commit. As they face these challenges, a new villain named Knull enters the picture. Knull created the symbiotes but was later imprisoned by them, and Knull can only be freed if he can get access to the codex inside Venom. As Brock and Venom fight Knull’s minions, they get assistance from the other symbiotes, including the green Toxin and orange Rascal.
The plot is simple and doesn’t try to be anything groundbreaking. There are action-packed moments, but the story mostly focuses on Eddie and Venom’s odd relationship. It’s fun and entertaining, but a bit silly at times. The best moments are the action sequences with all of the new symbiotes, and the moments in between are just okay—not boring but definitely lacking in the excitement offered by the first two films.
Tom Hardy continues to shine as Eddie Brock, bringing a mix of humor, intensity, and charm to his role. His chemistry with Venom (also voiced by Hardy) is once again the highlight of the film, though some of their banter gets repetitive. The new characters add some drama, but it’s clear that Hardy carries the movie. If they continue the series after this film (and given the low box office of Sony’s other Marvel projects like Madame Web and Morbius, they probably will), it may be hard to sustain the movie without Hardy’s presence as both main characters.
The visual effects are top-tier: Venom’s symbiote powers look spectacular, and the addition of more symbiotes with more power sets only highlights the masterful effects work. The CGI is smooth, especially during action sequences, and the production value of the set pieces where the big battles take place is high. Unfortunately, it’s easy to tell that most of the money was spent on the big action scenes, as the rest of the movie doesn’t feel nearly as impressive.
The soundtrack complements the film’s action-packed moments and helps to maintain the movie’s fast pace. One highlight is the way the film uses “Space Oddity” by David Bowie. The soundtrack isn’t perfect though: the song selected for the dance scene (which is teased in the title) is a strange pick considering the characters and the circumstances. Overall, the effects and music are big and bold to match the movie’s chaotic energy.
Venom: The Last Dance is an action-packed, entertaining ride with the familiar humor and tone of the first two movies. While it’s not something that would convince someone who isn’t a superhero fan to jump aboard, fans of the franchise should be pleased with how this story finally wraps up.
