Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

​"Venom: The Last Dance" stars Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach, Stephen Graham, and Andy Serkis.  Released on October 25, 2024, the film has Eddie and Venom on the run from both of their worlds.

The film is written and directed by Kelly Marcel in her directorial debut.  Marcel is known for writing "Saving Mr. Banks", "Fifty Shades of Grey", and the first two "Venom" movies.  It is the fifth installment in Sony's Spider-Man Universe and the third and final film in the "Venom" trilogy.  There's no denying that Sony's Spider-Man Universe is a mess, and I'm not just talking about the box office.  On paper, having popular or lesser-known characters in the Spider-Man lore star in their own cinematic adventures seemed like an odd yet intriguing way of reintroducing them to current generations.  Unfortunately, when putting them on screen, they became fundamental and tedious messes that didn't have much of a strategy besides connecting them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  "Morbius" and "Madame Web" had proven to be the cannonballs responsible for sinking this cinematic universe ship with their bland directions and questionable narrative choices, especially the former film.  

However, there is one anti-hero spin-off that not only kickstarted the Spider-Man-less universe but was also the reason why it still exists.  That's right.  I'm talking about Venom, one of the most iconic Spider-Man villains/anti-heroes in comic book history, and for good reason.  While the first two "Venom" films weren't as well-received as "Morbius" and "Madame Web", they're considered the most successful and the most tolerable films in Sony's Spider-Man Universe.  So, it makes sense that the studio is crawling back to the symbiote to help it get out of its superhero rut.  However, as the subtitle suggested, it'll be the last time we see the mighty lethal protector in action unless the MCU says otherwise.  Was it able to send this trilogy off with a bang, or did it further prove that Venom is better off as a Spider-Man villain?  Let's find out.

The story occurs after the events of "Venom: Let There Be Carnage".  Former investigative journalist Eddie Brock (Hardy) and the symbiote Venom are now fugitives, resulting in them going on a cross-country road trip and avoiding those hunting them down.  One of them is Rex Strickland (Ejiofor), a soldier seeking to capture Venom for research.  Amid the pursuit, Eddie and Venom discover that the multiple symbiotes arrived on Earth to escape from their creator, Knull (Serkis), who seeks the Codex within Eddie and Venom to free himself.  With their home facing annihilation, Eddie and Venom join forces once more to prevent this calamity, leading them to make a decision that could determine their futures.

The "Venom" movies aren't exactly superhero masterpieces, but that doesn't mean I don't have a soft spot for them, more so than Venom's appearance in "Spider-Man 3".  The first "Venom" movie in 2018 was an enjoyable, run-of-the-mill anti-hero origin story that was elevated by Tom Hardy's over-the-top performance as Eddie and his amusing chemistry with Venom.  As for "Let There Be Carnage", it's sillier than its predecessor, but it's also a minor downgrade regarding its narrative and pacing.  The fact that they're just as flawed as "Morbius" and "Madame Web" but are more watchable never fails to impress me the more I think about it.  However, it also made me a bit upset that the fittingly titled "The Last Dance" is the conclusion to the symbiote-covered trilogy.  If that's the case, then we might as well go out with a bang instead of holding on to its host longer than it should.

Based on my experience with the previous "Venom" films, I wasn't expecting much from "The Last Dance" besides the entertainment value.  While they weren't without some delightful moments, the "Venom" movies usually struggled to provide much character depth in their screenplays.  They presented many intriguing ideas for their world-building and character development that could have made them as exceptional as the best installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Unfortunately, these ideas were either rushed or poorly executed in favor of fast-paced action and chaotic visuals.  So, it's unsurprising that "The Last Dance" continues this trend with another round of Venom-sized craziness that fans of the previous two films loved.  However, the true test is whether the entertainment value is big enough to consume this flawed narrative.  The answer to that question is yes.  "The Last Dance" delivered the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach that offered the same elements I enjoyed from its predecessors but also the same issues that made them average at best.

One of those issues was the story.  "The Last Dance" is the finale of the characters' story arcs that concludes plot points introduced in the predecessors, including the symbiotes.  So, of course, like many finales to cinematic trilogies, there's bound to be higher stakes that would determine who lives and who dies.  Some were emotionally rewarding, while others may leave a big hole in their hearts for the wrong reasons.  It largely depends on how they handle the development of their characters, who've come a long way since the beginning.  However, with the previous "Venom" movies lacking the emotional core for Eddie and Venom amid their enticing chemistry, it's challenging for "The Last Dance" to bid a satisfyingly poignant farewell to them.  Fortunately, the film provided some heartfelt moments to ensure its trilogy-capping conclusion was good enough.  It's no "Return of the King", but it was mildly fulfilling regardless.

Kelly Marcel has written all three "Venom" films, with "Let There Be Carnage" being her solo screenwriting credit.  However, they weren't exactly her best works regarding the dialogue and plot points.  As mentioned earlier, the "Venom" screenplays lacked much exploration in their character development, leaving certain elements feeling rushed and lacking emotional punches in their narratives.  "The Last Dance" is clearly no exception.  This is mainly due to its pacing, which, like the previous installments, didn't give enough room to breathe amid the symbiotic chaos and the protagonist's shenanigans with Venom.  Thankfully, it was handled a bit better here than "Let There Be Carnage" because of its runtime, which is a few minutes longer than the previous installment.  

But for what it's worth, Marcel clearly understood what makes the "Venom" films work for her audience, which may have been why she's also chosen to direct this movie.  Directorial debuts for blockbusters can be tricky to accomplish, let alone superhero films, as helming something big as their first directorial effort can often lead to disaster regarding their future careers.  While I wouldn't say that Kelly Marcel was the perfect choice to direct "The Last Dance", I would give her credit for retaining its predecessors' corny yet highly charismatic elements.  One of these is the humor, mainly from the entertaining chemistry between Eddie and Venom.  Regardless of what we think of the humor, Eddie and Venom were the glue that held the trilogy together in terms of their "bromance".  Kelly Marcel further solidified that element easily, even if it didn't effectively elevate some of their character moments.  The other was the action sequences, which delivered plenty of ludicrous and fun symbiote violence we've come to expect, especially the third act.  Although, I will say that despite its PG-13 rating, there may be some violent moments that may frighten younger fans of "Venom", so keep that in mind, parents.

Regarding its cast, Tom Hardy was an immediate standout for me, thanks to his performance as Eddie.  Hardy's been playing this character since the first "Venom" movie, and the sequels showed how much fun he has playing a guy whose life was thrown into chaos when he first met Venom.  Was his performance dumb and over the top?  Absolutely.  Was it in a fun and charismatic way?  Absolutely, times two!  It further showcased that Tom Hardy is another actor who can do comedy and action as well as he can with drama.  Of course, his vocal performance as Venom was also superb for the comedic timing and distinctive voice.  Chiwetel Ejiofor also made a good enough effort with his role as Rex Strickland, but Rhys Ifans as Martin Moon was the most enjoyable regarding the film's supporting characters.  Ifans's Martin Moon is an alien enthusiast who brings his family on a trip to visit Area 51, where they're caught in the middle of Eddie's world-saving situation.  He delivered plenty of moments that were suitably humorous, especially one that I won't spoil for you.  Juno Temple's Dr. Teddy Payne also has a tolerable character arc due to Temple's performance, even though the movie could've lived without it.  As for Andy Serkis as Knull.…well, he's definitely a bad guy, all right.

Overall, "Venom: The Last Dance" concludes the symbiote-covered trilogy on a less-than-stellar note, but it dances past its narrative flaws to deliver an enjoyable piece of superhero entertainment.  The film hosted some familiar issues in its chaotic plot to turn away those who didn't like the previous two "Venom" movies, including its messy screenplay, lack of strong character depth, and rushed pacing.  However, if you don't mind these flaws and just want to see Eddie and Venom bicker like a married odd couple one last time, "The Last Dance" should satisfy most of your desires.  Tom Hardy was once again very entertaining as the superhero duo, the humor was dumb yet delightful, and the action sequences were suitably fun, all of which were due to Kelly Marcel's direction.  

As mentioned earlier, the "Venom" films were far from masterpieces within the superhero genre.  However, I couldn't help but be impressed with how consistent those movies are with their entertainment value, especially when compared to "Morbius" and "Madame Web".  It's these films that show Sony actually giving a crap about making a Spider-Man-less movie flawed yet tolerable.  Of course, with the symbiote now behind us, our eyes are set on Sony attempting to carry its Spider-Man Universe without Venom, with "Kraven the Hunter" being its next film.  Let's hope it has enough predatory skills to avoid becoming the next "Morbius" or worse.

C+