Stop going on review sites and just listen to me. Venom is fricken awesome and a ton of fun.
When Eddie Brock acquires the powers of a symbiote, he will have to release his alter-ego “Venom” to save his life.
Remember back in 2007 when we got Eric Foreman as Venom? I try to forget, for so many different reasons. At that point in time, it was the biggest disappointment I had felt in terms of moviegoing. There was no need to have him be a part of that movie, but the studio wanted to shoehorn him into the film. Well 11 years later the dust has settled and we have finally gotten not only a Venom we deserve but a Venom movie that should be appreciated by fans and critics alike. Not all comic book movies can be masterpieces, and not all comic book movies can fall under the same blueprint as the MCU. Saying that doesn’t mean it makes something different worse by any means. Currently sitting at 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, I have a really hard time understanding where these critics are coming from. This is an enjoyable comic book movie experience, with great action and a fun sense of humor. They did a Venom origin movie without the use of Spider-Man and I thought they pulled it off pretty well. That’s a daunting task if you ask me because they go together like PB & J.
Yes, there are certain aspects of this movie that do not work. Tonally it’s all over the place. I think part of the studio wanted to make this rated R, and another part was shy about the idea. Personally, I think the studio felt if they went with the hard R rating it could affect box-office numbers. Well in its opening weekend, Venom made just over 200 million dollars worldwide. Blowing expectations out of the water and making it the biggest opening for an October release. Tom Hardy who gives a bizarre yet memorable performance as Eddie Brock/Venom is signed on for another two flicks. This is getting a sequel, but the big takeaway fans have had is that they wanted the R rating. Tom Hardy goes all in on this role, and I’m happy he did it. He was even taking advice from his 13-year-old son about how he should play Venom. It’s cooky, it’s weird and he really goes for it. He carries the entire film. Remember there is ZERO mention of Spider-Man in this movie. They even changed the name of the Daily Bugle. So they are distancing themselves from the Spider-Man mythos (for now). Since the film doesn’t quite know where it wants to land tonally, it can take you out of it at times. You aren’t sure whether you should laugh at certain moments or not. There are two other notable movie stars in this. Michelle Williams who was noted in saying she took this role for the money, which is never really a good thing. She and Tom have zero chemistry and it’s noticeable. Not great, considering these are two very talented actors/actresses working on screen together. The script doesn’t really help, but you gotta work with what you’re given. I wouldn’t mind her being written out for the sequel. Riz Ahmed plays Carleton Drake the film’s villain. I don’t know what he wanted to be. The slimeball business guy, the cold-hearted jackass or just a little bit of both. He is another talented guy, so I was shocked that he didn’t deliver a better performance. But that’s not why we all flooded into the theatres to see this movie.
Ruben Fleischer who directed Venom had a tall task ahead of him. This movie that ultimately feels very jumbled isn’t all on him. But for the inevitable sequel, SONY needs to reach out to a more suited director that knows how to make a rated R scary movie. I think that’s where this needs to go. We all came for Venom, and when he shows up, this movie is pretty damn awesome in my opinion. The back and forth between Eddie and this voice inside his head are some of the best scenes and that’s when the movie really takes off. Eddie trying to be a normal guy and interact with others, all while having this demon inside his head telling him to eat something or someone. Then when he takes over Eddie completely, I was kind of blown away. This is always been what I wanted in a Venom movie, I just wish at times he was battling Spider-Man. Another reason for the R rating, Venom is kicking some serious ass, he is even bitting dudes heads off. It would have been nice to see a little more blood and gore. Because why show him do that, but not go all the way with it? Just a misstep on the studios part with that decision.
I just don’t think Fleischer and even SONY knew what they wanted this to be. I think Hardy was super passionate about playing this role and going forward he could serve as the Tony Stark of this universe. Remember Venom isn’t a full-on bad guy, and I thought they did a great job addressing this in the movie. Because Eddie isn’t a bad guy, he’s just a loser, just like Venom. When Venom comes out to play and the fantastic interactions between him and Eddie, that was more than enough to satisfy me. The first time out wasn’t going to be perfect, but you learn from your mistakes and correct them. You build on what worked, and some things worked really well. I’m excited to see where they take this franchise and this universe. Venom has been around the pop-culture zeitgeist for a long time, there is a clear following. Do us fans justifiable service and we will support your movie, it’s as simple as that. Venom isn’t perfect, but if you like this character, you should enjoy this movie, in my opinion at least. If there’s one thing they need to drop for the sequel, it’s Woody Harrelson as Carnage. I don’t see that working, and I can’t watch an entire movie with him wearing a big dumb goofy red wig. He’s great, but he’s not meant for this role.
Check ya later
Nate’s Movie Tour Reviews – Venom = 77/100
