Landing in UK and US cinemas on Friday 25th October is comic book movie, Venom: The Last Dance. Written and directed by Kelly Marcel, and based on a story by Marcel and Tom Hardy, the film is the third and final entry in the Venom movie series (for now, anyway), and sees Hardy back in the role of Eddie Brock/Venom, alongside a supporting cast which includes Stephen Graham, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, and Peggy Lu.
In the movie, Eddie Brock is back in San Francisco following a brief trip to the MCU. Upon returning, Eddie discovers he is a wanted fugitive sought by the police for the supposed death of Detective Mulligan (following the events of the previous film).
Realising he won’t be able to hide from the police for long, Eddie/Venom sets off on a road trip to New York to lie low. Meanwhile, as Eddie travels across country, a division of the army, with an interest in symbiotes, is following in hot pursuit.
And if all that wasn’t enough, Knull the god of the symbiotes is in search of a special codex which shares a connection to Eddie/Venom. This puts Eddie/Venom in danger, as Knull’s minions head to Earth.
Wondering if you should head off to see Venom: The Last Dance this weekend? Well, you should probably ask yourself the all-important question: Did you enjoy the two previous Venom movies?
If the answer is no, then Venom: The Last Dance isn’t really for you. If you disliked the other movies, you’re unlikely to care about this one, so save your cash.
This third instalment in the franchise is pretty much more of the same, with Tom Hardy doing his befuddled Eddie schtick, Venom cracking jokes, and the tone and CGI being a bit all over the place.
However, if you are a fan of Venom (2018) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), then you should probably book a ticket to see this new movie. Venom: The Last Dance is action-packed, entertainingly daft, and essentially a little bit of silly sci-fi nonsense, which is fine for a Friday night at the pictures.
Will it win any awards for originality or creativity? Heck, no!
All of the problems that existed in the previous films (poor script, limited character development, etc) are evident in this third entry. Venom: The Last Dance is also not as big or as grand as you might expect from a trilogy capper, and at times does feel like a missed opportunity (again).
But the key thing is, Venom: The Last Dance is perfectly fine if you like the Venom movies. So, as long as you take it for what it is and don’t have any high expectations you probably won’t be disappointed.
When Venom came out in 2018 I was pretty sniffy about the movie, but have since embraced it for what it is and accepted it for its flaws. Since then I enjoyed Venom: Let There Be Carnage in 2021, and now in 2024 I’m finding myself having a similar experience with Venom: The Last Dance.
Highlights of Venom: The Last Dance include a Venomised horse ride; an underwater battle between Venom, the army, and an alien creature; and a sing-a-long with a hippie family led by Rhys Ifans. Yes, this is the same Rhys Ifans who previously appeared in the Spider-Man films in the role of the Lizard, but here he is playing an entirely different character, we accept it, and we move on.
Venom: The Last Dance also showcases the debut of Knull, a character who is fairly new to the Marvel Universe, having only been introduced into the comics within the last ten years or so. Knull played a significant role in some recent Venom/Carnage comics and while he doesn’t get much screen time in Venom: The Last Dance, it’s good to see a credible threat being introduced into Sony’s Spider-Man-adjacent movie universe.
Although, while I am on the subject of Spider-Man, it really would be nice if one of these non-Spider-Man, Spider-Man movies, actually included Spider-Man at some point. I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade here, but Spidey isn’t part of this film, like he wasn’t part of the previous Venom films (or Morbius or Madame Web) and it’s getting a little tedious.
Come on, Sony, get your act together! Give people a Spider-Man-related movie with Spider-Man in it!
Isn’t this what people want? Am I missing something here?!
Anyway, this Venom movie is Spidey-less. Sorry to disappoint.
The Venom movies have never been a particularly strong or accurate representation of the Venom comics, or Venom in general, and this latest movie doesn’t change this. Venom: The Last Dance is ropey disposable trash which is likely to infuriate some fans who have been waiting for the definitive Venom movie, but ultimately it is OK… if you liked what came before.
Should it be better? Yes. But is it entirely watchable? Also yes.
View Venom: The Last Dance as an end point, or a resting point, take it as you find it, and lower your expectations. If you can do all that, I’m sure you’ll have fun with the various puns and symbiotes that are hurled at the screen.
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