The epic conclusion is here! Our JP has his take on “Venom: The Last Dance,” starring Tom Hardy and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Venom: The Last Dance
(Sony Pictures / Marvel)
- DIRECTED BY: Kelly Marcel
- SCREENPLAY BY: Kelly Marcel
- STORY BY: Tom Hardy & Kelly Marcel
- BASED ON THE MARVEL COMICS
- PRODUCED BY: Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy, Hutch Parker
- EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Joe Caracciolo Jr.
- CAST: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach
Studio Synopsis:
In “Venom: The Last Dance,” Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.
“Venom: The Last Dance” stars Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu and Alanna Ubach. The film is directed by Kelly Marcel from a screenplay she wrote, based on a story by Hardy and Marcel. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy and Hutch Parker.
J.P.’s Take:
That inseparable odd couple Venom and Edward “Eddie” Brock embark on yet another madcap adventure together, when a dark force threatens to annihilate Venom’s kind and the rest of the universe. “Venom: the Last Dance” is Marvel’s and Sony’s swan song before they integrate more of their entities into the next MCU phase. Despite the previous two films not hitting their mark at the box office, the witty duo have garnered quite a cult following. You may even say they’re just as beloved as Wolverine or Deadpool, among other characters.
Out of the slough of superhero blowouts, the “Venom” series has found its niche in the campy trappings of a buddy film. The trio of films is akin to irreverent buddy cop team-up:, only this duo pairs a black gooey smart-mouthed symbiote called Venom (Tom Hardy) with a disgraced former journalist named Edward “Eddie” Brock (Hardy), as they become unlikely heroes while battling some of the most heinous villains. Knull the Living Darkness (Andy Serkis) appears and sends his hench aliens to hunt down Venom for his codex. This codex is the key to Knull’s freedom and, as with many supervillains, he will stop at nothing to retrieve what he wants.
The third installment serves as a sentimental look back at the tumultuous and bro-mantic relationship that has sprouted between the two. We’re also introduced to the latest baddie, Venom’s most treacherous foe, Knull. As always the comedy stems from the zany antics in which Venom and Eddie trade quips, and much of the time Eddie is not on board. Yet, here they are certainly joined at the heart and soul. Eddie and Venom are exiled to Mexico, where they hide out after they are framed for the murder of Patrick Mulligan (Stephan Graham) in “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.” They catch a news headline on their whereabouts and Venom exclaims he wants to visit New York not just for the sightseeing, but to clear their name.
What unfolds next are some pretty decent comical routines and some sticky battles to set up their excursion. Part of the fun is that Area 51 becomes the playground for a symbiotic showdown, where others like Venom are discovered. If you’re paying close attention you may even recall some other “alien” movie references along the journey. Especially in some of the battle scenes where Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and the Imperium are fighting off gigantic crab-like creatures sent to Earth by Knull. The battle itself brings to mind that of “Starship Troopers.” There is a line where Strickland is rallying the troopers and shouts the line, “We are leaving,” much in the same manner as Corporal Hicks (played by Michael Biehn) does in “Aliens.” There are other moments that (in a roundabout way) pay homage to other silly, wacky sci-fi b-movies like “Evolution.” What’s more fascinating is how these beasts, called Xenophages, kill their enemies: when they swallow their enemies whole, the blood of who they swallowed spews from the back of their heads like a juicer.
The running joke is that aliens don’t exist, which is what Eddie tells a hippie family of UFO/alien enthusiasts on their way to Area 51. Since Eddie is on the run, they spot him wandering from the woods onto their campsite and offer him a ride to Vegas. The father Martin Moon (Rhys Ifans) asks Eddie, “Do you believe in aliens?” Eddie plays it cool and tells him yes. Yet, as they sleep in their VW van, Eddie tells the son that there are no such things as aliens. It’s a self-conscience wink to what lies ahead.
As for the remainder of the cast, they’re there to give the gelatinous sinewy Venom something to play off of, as he and Eddie are the party crashers of the bunch. Joining the cast are Juno Temple, Alanna Ubach, and Clark Backo as Dr. Teddy Payne (scientist for Imperium), Nova Moon (Martin’s wife and a fellow hippie), and Sadie Christmas (researcher for Imperium who temporarily bonds with the Venom symbiote and later becomes the host of a green-colored, four-tendril symbiote), respectively. They are the straight-laced ensemble to Venom’s wise-cracking one-creature show. Additionally, there are appearances by Peggy Lu and Cristo Fernandez, who reprise their roles as Mrs. Chen and the Bartender from “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
Writer / director Kelly Marcel and Tom Hardy hold this project close to their heart, especially since Hardy shares co-writing credits this time. So, it’s appropriate that this third chapter is subtitled “The Last Dance” as this is a look back at all the crazy and sentimental times the two characters have spent together.
Like Oscar and Felix of the 70s show, “The Odd Couple,” Eddie and Venom are Marvel and Sony’s unlikely pair-up. I must admit this final chapter is an improvement over the less-than-chaotic head-scratcher, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” as there wasn’t much carnage to be found. With “Venom: The Last Dance,” I was willing to take the ride with them this time around.
Official Site: Venom
