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Venom: The Last Dance – Review

**Warning: Mentions mild spoilers

Against all odds, few could have predicted the success of 2018’s Venom. Despite a critical mauling that would make Carnage proud, and alongside questionable creative choices – it is, after all, a Spider-Man spin-off without the Spectacular wall crawler, – audiences flocked to theatres to witness Tom Hardy’s (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dark Knight Rises) unique anti-hero take on the iconic symbiote, who was first brought to life in live-action by Topher Grace (That ‘70s Show) in 2007’s Spider-Man 3

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The film, by director Ruben Samuel Fleischer (Zombieland, Uncharted) defied expectations, raking in a staggering US$864 million worldwide and proved that even a critically panned superhero flick with an approval rating of only 30% on Rotten Tomatoes could become a box office juggernaut. 

Venom: The Last Dance – Review

Sony, sensing a lucrative franchise in its grasp, swiftly spawned a sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021). While the follow-up fared slightly better with critics, it still stumbled with a messy narrative and a villain that felt more like a caricature than a genuine threat. Yet, the sequel managed to maintain the franchise’s momentum with a US$506 million box office haul amid a pandemic, largely thanks to Hardy’s chaotic charm. Even a brief appearance by Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, using existing footage, cleverly woven in from Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), fueled excitement for the franchise’s crossover potential. 

Now, with the third and final instalment Venom: The Last Dance, the franchise attempts to course-correct, promising a more focused and satisfying conclusion to Hardy’s symbiotic saga. But while the first film kickstarted Sony’s Spider-Man Universe six years ago, this capper in a planned trilogy does nothing to elevate the amazing web of connected characters it was handed the reins to. In fact, it’s a repeat of the previous film, which saw the introduction of more symbiotes, but without the involvement of Spider-Man. But while not without its many, many flaws, Venom: The Last Dance represents a noticeable improvement over its predecessors, boasting a meatier plot and a refreshingly restrained ambition. Under the direction of Kelly Marcel, who takes the helm after penning the previous two films, Venom: The Last Dance aims to give Hardy’s Lethal Protector the send-off he deserves, even if it doesn’t reach the heights of superhero cinematic excellence.

Venom: The Last Dance – Review

The explosive events of Venom: Let There Be Carnage have left Hardy’s Eddie Brock and Venom branded as fugitives, forcing them on a desperate run from multiple threats. Hunted by the Xenophages, ferocious alien symbiote hunters, they also find themselves in the crosshairs of General Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor, in his second Marvel villainous turn after Karl Mordo in Doctor Strange), who leads a relentless military pursuit. Adding to the chaos is Dr. Payne (Juno Temple, of Ted Lasso and Fargo fame), a scientist at Area 51 with a keen interest in studying these extraterrestrial lifeforms. 

Setting the foundation of the film is also the introduction of Knull, the villainous King in Black creator of the symbiotes, except that he’s merely a side character who seems lazily inserted into the narrative. Heck, we don’t even see his face until the end of the film, not that it’s a surprise because we would also want to keep our head down if we were somehow shoehorned into this production. 

Venom: The Last Dance – Review

To fill in the drama and tension missing from the first two films, and from Brock and Venom’s backpacking adventure as they traverse the American Southwest, the film inserts a quirky hitchhiker family into the duo’s path, led by the eccentric Martin (Rhys Ifans, who once portrayed Spider-Man supervillain Lizard in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man). This chance encounter injects a dose of comedic absurdity into the narrative as the unlikely group embarks on a road trip fueled by a shared fascination with extraterrestrial life and a desire to reach the infamous Area 51 military facility in the state of Nevada. Why? Because it has to do with the military unit hunting and capturing symbiotes, and the film needed a reason to include Mrs Chen (Peggy Lu, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist), Brock’s convenience store owner friend from the first two films, in a random encounter in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Initially, Venom: The Last Dance embraces a surprisingly enjoyable road trip adventure, catering to fans’ desire for the bromantic comedy that has become a hallmark of the franchise. Despite being pursued by dangerous forces, Eddie and Venom find moments of levity, singing along to David Bowie’s Space Oddity and embracing their inner Thelma and Louise as they navigate the highways and byways of America. 

Venom: The Last Dance – Review

But by the time the umpteenth pop tune fills the theatres, you’ll realise that this unapologetic embrace of silliness, a defining characteristic of the previous Venom films, is merely amplified in Venom: The Last Dance. The film throws caution to the wind, piling on outlandish set pieces and bizarre scenarios that range from the kooky to the downright ludicrous. Symbiote fish, horses, and even a frog make appearances, but they don’t hold a candle to Mrs. Chen in a scene-stealing dance sequence with Venom, set to an infectious remix of ABBA’s Dancing Queen. Safe to say, Venom dancing to ABBA was not on my 2024 bucket list, but at least Marcel delivers on the film’s titular promise, providing a ‘last dance’ that’s nonsensical yet oddly fitting. 

The lightheartedness attempts to fill the holes in an otherwise formulaic superhero plot replete with breathless exposition and an overload of CGI enhancements. It’s in these moments where Marcel’s script feels like a frantic attempt to cram in as many plot points and potential spin-off setups as possible, sacrificing narrative coherence for the sake of expanding the Venom-verse, but to what end? The overarching goal seems to be the introduction of Knull, played by mocap legend and Venom: Let There Be Carnage director Andy Serkis, a formidable villain poised to carry the franchise forward, possibly even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but this won’t be the first time that Sony has attempted to link itself to the much more successful master franchise, but with no plan in place. Despite these shortcomings, the groundwork for Knull’s arrival is still laid. His sinister presence, trapped within the otherworldly prison of Klyntar, hints at darker, more expansive plots to come, stirring anticipation among the audience for what the future might hold. 

Throughout the nonsense though the relationship between Eddie Brock and Venom remains the heart of Venom: The Last Dance. Hardy, once again inhabiting the dual roles of Brock and Venom, delivers a performance that is both erratic and endearing, imbuing Eddie with a nervous energy that borders on manic, while his vocal portrayal of Venom retains its signature booming gruffness. Hardy, credited as a co-writer alongside Marcel, clearly relishes the opportunity to further explore the dynamic between the two characters, their banter and bickering providing some of the film’s most entertaining moments. Brock and Venom may bicker and grapple for control, but their bond is undeniable. They are, and always have been, two sides of the same coin, each incomplete without the other.

Ultimately, this comedic foundation gives way to a surprisingly poignant exploration of their symbiotic relationship. As the stakes rise and the threat of Knull looms large, they face an impossible choice, their bond pushed to its limits. Their final dance culminates in a chaotic battle against a horde of symbiotes, including the comic fan-favourite symbiote Toxin, who inhabits the body of former police detective and familiar face Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham, Boiling Point). This explosive climax, a symphony of CGI mayhem and surprisingly brutal violence, provides a fittingly over-the-top conclusion to the trilogy.

Venom: The Last Dance is a film best enjoyed by leaving any overthinking at the door – exactly the kind of wild ride where if you aren’t careful, you might find Venom taking a bite out of your brain. This flawed yet fun instalment offers a fitting farewell to Hardy’s Venom, embracing its inherent absurdity to deliver a rollercoaster of laughs, thrills, and unexpectedly touching moments. But with the possibility of future crossovers and Knull’s looming threat, this last dance may not be so final after all.

GEEK REVIEW SCORE

Summary

Director Kelly Marcel promises a spectacle, and on that front, she delivers – a Venomenal, if uneven, farewell to this chapter of the Venom saga with Venom: The Last Dance.

Overall
5.3/10
5.3/10
  • Story - 5/10
    5/10
  • Direction - 5/10
    5/10
  • Characterisation - 6/10
    6/10
  • Geek Satisfaction - 5/10
    5/10