By Samuel Rillstone
Sony has brought the Venom trilogy to a close with Venom: The Last Dance. Does it break the streak of middling-to-terrible Sony Marvel films?
Written and directed by Kelly Marcel (who penned the previous two Venom films), the story follows Eddie Brock and his symbiote Venom (Tom Hardy) on the run from both the US military and alien assassins sent by the symbiote god Knull.
Unfortunately, it's such a nothing movie. Almost constant meandering exposition, pointless characters, just basic cliché paint by number stuff with a bunch of sort-of recognisable other symbiotes in one action sequence.
They're trying to make it a big send-off emotional thing since this is the last film in the trilogy, but the story just happens and then it's done and that's it.
It's not all bad: I like Tom Hardy and I like him in this role. He's kept the same erratic and fun energy as he has the entire trilogy. And the relationship between Eddie and Venom has been the strongest part of it all and the goofy humour of Venom is charming.
But that's just as far as it goes for me. And then trying to shoehorn in a massive character like Knull right at the last minute (well kind of) doesn't work either.
Venom (in horse mode) and Eddie Brock are on the run from both the US military and alien assassins. Photo: Sony Pictures
Knull was created by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. He's the creator and god of the symbiotes and debuted in 2013 in a Thor comic run. He's an extremely powerful being who actually created All Black the Necrosword, the sword that Gorr the God Butcher uses. The same Gorr from Thor: Love and Thunder (not that Knull had any play or relevance in that film).
Knull started his journey by beheading one of the creation species in the Marvel universe, the Celestials. He used that head to forge the symbiotes and the head became Knowhere, a location famously seen in Guardians of the Galaxy. TL:DR is that he's a universe-level threat with a decent amount of lore that needs time to unpack.
Writer/Director Kelly Marcel has said "you can't really do the symbiote movies without him, but he's also way too big to be one and done. So, it's just a little introduction to him. It's just a kind of taster of where he might potentially be able to go with his own movies, in the same way that they introduced Thanos very carefully through the Marvel movies."
Alien symbiote Venom's goofy humour is charming but it's not enough to save this film. Photo: Sony Pictures
But at present these films aren't going anywhere. Sure you can do Knull and yes you could do a full adaption of the King in Black event comic with Knull as your Thanos for these paper thin connected Sony Spider-Man films.
But it's too late. People don't like these movies. Nothing other than the first Venom movie has done well and even that is a semi-fun hot garbage mess.
But they make them for cheap is the thing and so then they do make their money back at the least which is all the sentiment studios need to keep making dreck.
It also tries to have a heartfelt montage of the three films but it's not earned at all. I guess at least it finished and had an ending, since nothing finishes nowadays.
But it's just a nothing movie. It's boring, nothing happens. I can't even suggest watching it on a rainy afternoon, because that would mean giving more money to this and look where that's got us.
Venom: The Last Dance (M) is on general release in New Zealand cinemas now.
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