It feels like yesterday that I first experienced the lovable goof and pure unhinged camp of what the Venom franchise from Sony truly is. Long gone are the days of questioning morality in a world predicated on the influence of choice, or growing through adversity, and facing our demons. Instead, we have reached a point in history where an odd-couple esque scenario can be executed under the lens of a comic-book film.
It sounds irrational on every level, but in a way, it’s kind of comically perfect. To pair up one of Marvel comics’ biggest poster boys in the realm of anti-heroes with Eddie Brock, who is played with finesse and freedom from Tom Hardy. Now with a sequel hitting theaters, it’s a question of where the series can go or what new height it can reach while staying true to the foundation cemented from its inception back in 2018.
Hardy feels a sense of connection and responsibility to the character from doing behind the scene motion capture or being the voice of his alter ego. In turn, almost an extension of himself because the narrative that we find these two in is the balance of seeking unity but helping one another.
I could tell Hardy was having a great time and took the role one step further by fleshing out the humanity lurking inside Venom and Eddie, hence why both continue to be a perfect match for each other in terms of story and casting. It is a dangling plot thread that is addressed for the majority of this film, and in a way, it works.
Of course, the great thing about the Venom franchise is the freedom from everyone involved in the production. It understands it’s messy, goofy, out of touch, but it tells a story either way, which Hardy did a great job of portraying in his titular role.
Not to mention, Venom films are creatures of habit by paying respect to the past and staying within the present. I felt director Andy Serkis did a great job withholding the film together and letting the insanity run rampant all at the same time.
However, that’s not a bad thing at all to think about because, in my opinion, I felt Woody Harrelson (who played Cleatus Kasady) stole the show by being quirky, downright funny, and overall eye-opening. Hardy was on top of his game once again by just acting downright crazy, and it worked so well.
Along with the gooey comic accurate visuals of Carnage with tendrils and his signature crimson red, Venom looked ripped from the panels of a comic book, and his movement was much more fluid and somewhat balanced. The action was pure insanity, at times feeling fresh and unique, and at other times it was a CGI deathmatch.
The screenplay from the mind of Tom Hardy and Kelly Marcel was what it needed to be. It wasn’t a big end of the world or cinematic juggernaut built up over a shared continuity; instead, it was a quest to find yourself and what makes you unique. One element worthy of praise was the balance of having an adult lens taking hold centered around a franchise with a dark, gloomy combination of San Francisco architecture, giving a sense of location and verticality.
This franchise won’t be for everyone, and many will coin or label it as a parody of the cape genre. But, sometimes you just need to step back and enjoy some old comic book camp under the guise of pure insanity and overall childhood fun.
And that’s why I give Venom: Let There Be Carnage a 7.5/10. It is a messy film, but it’s a whole lot of fun, and it leaves you with more questions than answers. It’s full of heart and pure insanity.
