Venom: Let There Be Carnage – Let There Be More Dysfunction

In the midst of Marvel Studios and the MCU, Sony and their own Spider-Man cinematic universe has kept going despite an inconsistent output but that gap between both universes continues to narrow thanks to the relationship between both studios, leading to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man franchise. Meanwhile, that Spider-Man universe is more than just Tom Holland’s incarnation with the most recent example being the Venom franchise. While the original film divided both critics and audiences, it was a successful one at the box office and in the end, that’s what matters most therefore a sequel is now upon is with Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The next logical question is likely to be whether or not this new film is an improvement over the original. While that answer is yes, it is not by much considering the kind of film the original was. Though the unusual running time compared to most comic book films, clocking in at 90+ minutes, sticks out, it is hardly the main issue with the film as its half-baked story essentially amount to a ridiculous and dumb waste of time. That being said, it wasn’t without its moments. However, the cons heavily outweigh the pros.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage finds Eddie Brock (Hardy) and Venom down on their luck and left reeling following the events of the original film. Despite their dysfunctional relationship, they made it work. If there’s anything the film got right, it was that relationship as they were a blast to watch as the film saw them bicker and razz each other throughout but it all came from a place of love even if they weren’t willing to acknowledge it. Their contentious relationship was the backdrop for the film and it ultimately was far more interesting than anything else it had to offer. Hoping to turn things around professionally, Brock was thrust into a relationship with a serial killer named Cletus Kasady (Harrelson) for whom he hoped an interview with would revitalize his career. Unfortunately for him, Kasady would escape prison after a failed execution attempt following contracting a symbiote of his own known as Carnage. As far as Kasady was concerned, he was just ridiculous for the sake of being ridiculous in a role that wasn’t ever more than that and went nowhere for the most part. It seemed like the film was never particularly interested in the character whatsoever.

Kasady was given somewhat of a rushed backstory involving a woman named Frances Barrison (Harris), otherwise known as Shriek, who was given the same treatment if not a worse one as him. They were merely a plot device plopped in there as antagonists for the sake of conflict and served no other purpose than advancing the relationship between Brock and Venom and nothing more. They were simply used and then thrown away which was disappointing though not overly surprising judging by their character development or lack thereof but their overall contribution to Venom: Let There Be Carnage was not nearly as much as many would expect. Because the Brock and Venom relationship was so fun to watch, it was easier to somewhat overlook everything else though one still can’t help but want a more well-rounded experience out of their comic book films. The short running time was perhaps most relevant here as character development would have greatly benefitted the film as a whole.

The special effects were great in terms of Venom itself with the film better highlighting its abilities as it got to show a lot more abilities and personality here which added to the fun. The big, CGI-heavy action sequences, though not as many as one might expect, were pretty standard but fine. However at the end of the day, the best part of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, was Tom Hardy’s performance as Eddie Brock. Despite the mixed reception of the original Venom, most deemed him to be the best part of that film and that is still the case here. A much different performance than that in the original film, this sequel saw him more restrained and more of a straight man to the over-the-top Venom which is arguably a better position for him to be granted it could be argued that the first film was him getting used to the new relationship with the symbiote. He was compelling to watch while the writing for he and Venom was fun and surprisingly funny. The same could not be said about Harrelson’s Kasady who made the most out of what he had and camped it up despite being miscast. Harris as Barrison/Shriek went along those lines and was just there.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage may not be the train wreck that the original was but the bar was never that high to begin with and be sure to stay a little longer for a game-changing mid-credits scene.

still courtesy of Sony Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.