Venom: The Last Dance is the long-awaited concluding chapter of the Venom trilogy, directed by Kelly Marcel, starring Tom Hardy as the popular Marvel comics character Venom. After Venom(2018) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage(2021), the final movie follows on after the battle with Carnage and the dynamic between Eddie Brock and his symbiote Venom. As a die-hard Marvel fan, it was my most-awaited film of the year, and I have mixed opinions. Although it was a visual treat, a lot of threads have been left unresolved, without a proper closure to the trilogy.
The Plot:
The plot of the film is very straightforward and easy to follow, even for new Venom fans. Venom and Eddie have to return to New York City after being on the run when Eddie is named as the prime suspect in the death of Patrick Mulligan. While on the way, they face an invasion from Xenophage, a race of monstrous creatures, sent by Knull. Venom is said to carry the Codex as he revived Eddie in the past, which holds the key to the release of Knull from a prison he’s trapped inside. The film tests the partnership between Eddie and Venom as they overcome extraterrestrial obstacles and evade law-enforcement forces with a high-voltage, bittersweet climax.
Character Dynamics:
The Venom franchise has been popular due to the excellent on-screen chemistry between Venom and Eddie. However, this time, it was not as fun as we are used to. The dialogues are boring and humor is scarce. Other supporting roles like Juno Temple(as Dr. Payne), Chiwetel Ejiofor(as Rex Strickland), and Peggy Lu(as Mrs.Chen) are amazing. However, there is little background development and you find it hard to relate to the characters. Eddie is an amazing actor but poor writing fails to deliver his impact in the storyline.
Visuals & Action:
The best part about this movie is definitely its CGI and high-voltage action scenes. The transformation of Venom and other xenophages is a treat to watch. There are no stones left unturned. The attention to detail during the fight in Las Vegas makes it worthy of the great trilogy. There could be an air of fluidity about the action sequences throughout the film. Aside from this, Venom: The Last Dance is a visual treat with a vivid imagination going for it. The way Eddie rides a horse that resembles Venom is a very creative and ambitious thing to do.
Overall Theme & Execution:
Venom: The Last Dance explores themes of sacrifice, friendship, and existential dread, but they somehow get overshadowed by a subpar plot. A better character development could have helped the storyline mature. Although the film is entertaining and the CGI is amazing, the trilogy needed a better ending and should have left no loopholes to explore. Even the post-credits scene was unnecessary. The music and background score were decent and the story was fast-paced. The fifteen minutes of climax is what everybody enjoyed the most in the theatres. Tom Hardy does justice to his role but could have been more memorable with a better script. All-in-all, even though the first two movies were better, I would definitely recommend this as a one-time action movie.