Venom: Letting there be Carnage
Venom: Letting there be Carnage
Movie going is one of those collective experiences that we have had to let go for a while with
the pandemic. Even if the cinema was open, the problem was that film production also
halted for pandemic reasons, the result being that the movie buffs had almost two years of
forced abstinence.
However, that was not forever, and the return of the big screen was hailed with joy around
the globe, and in our country. As such, it’s important to keep in mind that expectations may
be a tad unrealistic.
Venom: Let there be Carnage released just after this window, when things were more or less
going back to normal. Most flocked to the theater to watch it. This writer decided to wait
and watch it at home instead.
A review: Warning – spoilers ahead !
The cons
Despite knowing not to trust internet reviews, I did skim through a few sites, which
indicated favorable reviews. That being rare for a sequel, I went into this movie with
moderate expectations…which were still dashed.
Clocking in at 90 minutes, Venom: Let there be Carnage seems too short. However, once I
started watching it, I had the opposite problem; it was too long.
Let’s start with the basics: The Plot. Those of us who are familiar with (or have at least
googled) the venomverse are aware of Carnage. So it was a little disappointing that the plot
of the story was so simple. The entire story can be summed up in: Carnage was born,
inhabits a serial killer, goes on a rampage. I found myself utterly bored several times in the
(very long) middle section, a surprise for a comic book film.
While kudos has to be given to the inclusion of Barrison aka Shriek to spice things up a little bit, she was not used as much as she could’ve been, and was ultimately just a tool to show dissonance between Carnage and host Cletus Cassidy.
Similarly, Carnage’s motivation for wanting Venom dead was not clear at all. As we saw in the first movie, symbiotes don’t have a one-per-planet policy. And given that they’re symbiotes, Carnage’s overuse of the word “father” simply irked me.
For a being named Carnage, we got more carnage from Riot in the first movie. And that was just sad.
One thing that would’ve provided a lot more depth without changing a lot would’ve been just to give Carnage and Cassidy a scene to come to terms with the two of them, Carnage with their host, and Cassidy with his newfound powers. Call me stupid, but even a serial killer shouldn’t have been able to adapt so well to a parasite without a single onscreen conversation.
The pros
However, not all regarding Venom was bad, and the primary reason for that was a film-saving performance by Tom Hardy. The chemistry between Venom and their host Eddie Brock remains the same as in the first film, quite noteworthy since they’re both played by Hardy. Venom and Brock’s dynamic brings the film a little of the life it was so lacking, and cements their relationship as the film’s most poignant.
Similarly, an interesting theme of love (reflected in Barrison and Cassidy’s Bonnie-and-Clyde scenario, Brock and his ex Anne, Anne and her current fiance Dan) prevaded the film, but what was more interesting was that it showcased the love between Venom and Brock, in a messy, realistic way.
Is it weird that everyone’s heart grew mushy at that confession scene on the beach?
The powers that be made the right call in highlighting the chemistry between the two, as well as keeping the humour that made the initial film stand out. The finale reference to “a red one” was a hilarious throwback that I did not see coming. That being said, I was miffed that Brock wasn’t taking a few good opportunities to continue ribbing Venom on their parasite status.
The potential
Let me say that this is where the film truly shines: as a set up for the future. Keen-eyed fans would have noticed the glimpse of Toxin we shared towards the end of the film, and Toxin’s host Mulligan was spotted throughout the film, coming off as a bit of a sticker-upper in the process as well.
While how Toxin happened to be “born” was not clear, the sequel set up is very, very clear.
The real deal, however, is in the mid-credits scene, where the Venomverse is established in the multiverse, timelines are brought together, and a hell of a lot more potential is unleashed.
This mid-credits will pay off in the soon-to-be-watched Spiderman: No way home, releasing on 17 December.
Conclusion
While delivering on the humour and the Brock-and-Venom dynamic we’ve come to love, the look and story of Venom: Let there be Carnage left much to be desired. However, it’s not entirely disposable due to its earth shattering establishing scenes, which spell out POTENTIAL in capitals for films to come.
