The element of “Venom: The Last Dance” that is most enjoyable is the absurdity that comes with the buddy humor that is present throughout the film. Sadly, this is very rarely the case.
For Eddie Brock the journalist and the symbiote, this is the third film for Tom Hardy, and he definitely still understands the tone of the character. It is amusing that this is the same actor that has a notorious reputation when it comes to acting, who has gone all out to give a voice to a space blob, which is part of the charm of the gag. Hardy never ceases to surprise the audience with his unusual voices and thanks to Venom he has been able to explore this part of his creativity.
However, far more often than acceptable, “Venom: The Last Dance” goes the opposite way from what was effective during the first two movies especially the best of all, the second sequel “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” released in 2021. The film loses its way and turns point from being a ‘Venom’ movie to the explorations of a bottom level of a lab under Area 51.
To add insult to injury, it wastes the incredible skills of Juno Temple and Chiwetel Ejiofor down there in one-dimensional characters.
Making her directorial debut, and a first-time filmmaker, Kelly Marcel should not have wasted that much time away from the better parts of the script. All we want is for Eddie and Venom to bicker, and banter, and tussle their way out of one nasty situation (sometimes literal) as they further cement their unequally yoked romance. When it comes to the visual effects, things get a little muddy in the epic battle scenes that are basically colorful blobs whooshing around each other, but that Eddie/Venom dynamic is crystal clear as they are, quite literally, one of many bodies throughout the scene.
What happens instead is that just as some ridiculous set piece is about to become interesting, ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ suddenly cuts away to what is happening back in the lab. A fight in the air onboard a flying battle at 30000 ft, crossing a heated desert on a galloping horse, and a silly Vegas style dance in a high-rise apartment these are the scenes which should get us plenty of time to savor and in actuality, they always feel short. The rhythm is irritatingly irregular in the whole movie and the transitions from one tone to another are very clumsy.
The last dance commences in Tone plausible and voice that bests nobody quite as it’s none other than Knull who made the symbiotes in the first place, voiced by the impeccable Andy Serkis who does not pull punches during the expository phase of the cinematic piece.
Possessing the scuzzy style of 8-bit graphics, Knull maliciously says how he has his crustaceous-fanged minions go look for the key that will unbind him from the void. That key does exist when Eddie and Venom come in sync and intro together as two red beacons to guide Knull’s monstrous zombies in pursuit of them. They are standing in their own movie where they are the McGuffins.
They are running away from everyone is every nook and cranny and a little difference where Eddie tends to misplace his shoes, isn’t too humorous the very first time. Nevertheless, they witness some entertaining moments during their trek. Cristo Fernández the constantly smiling Dani Rojas from ‘Ted Lasso’ had me digging through my memory, where I placed him, the Mexican bartender at the end of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’. Peggy Lu the ever reliable Mrs. Chen features in a different context to the one viewers are used to and injects such bonkers energy into the film but her appearance falls into the category of ‘The Last Dance’ which is about to spoil a rather beautiful scene. And an uninvited family road trip with Rhys Ifans, and Alanna Ubach leads to a very amusing musical interlude.
But all roads lead to Area fifty-one, where Temple’s doctor and the general have different opinions on how to go about with the symbiotes especially Venom: She wants to observe them while he wants to extermination.
That’s basically all there is to these characters. And even such actors are unable to salvage what lacks on the page and so when crucial turning points come that are intended to resonate emotions from us as viewers, instead they feel quite ineffective.
In case you presume this is ’The Last Dance’ for real considering how the film ends on such a dramatic note and everything, then wait, all those who have the patience to watch through the credits know what to expect next. Whatever it is, perhaps next time Hardy should decide to retire his dancing shoes for good.
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