Movie Review: Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

Venom: The Last Dance (2024) co-written and directed by Kelly Marcel

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is on the run from the law since they assume he was the killer in the San Francisco cathedral incident in the last film. He's able to stay ahead of trouble since he has the symbiote to work with. They (Eddie and the symbiote) are hanging out in Mexico but decide to head to New York so the symbiote can see the Statue of Liberty. The road trip is interrupted by a xenophage, a horrible monster from the symbiote's home world that is hunting them. As the duo Venom, Eddie and the symbiote have a "codex" which is a special key that will free Knull (Andy Serkis), the creator of all the symbiotes who wants to destroy the universe (or something like that...at least he wants to wipe out the symbiotes for imprisoning him). While on the run, they are also pursued by a secret agency called Area 55 (hidden underneath Area 51) that is doing research on the aliens (like the symbiotes) for their own purposes. A lot of action and mayhem ensues.

The plot is fairly haphazard, moving from point to point with more of a focus on action set pieces and wrapping up the trilogy. Plenty of head-scratching moments have the characters losing track of what's going on or knowing a lot more than they should. Plot contrivances move things forward in hard-to-believe ways. The special effects are amazing and the filmmakers are creative in using Venom's powers, as well as using other symbiotes in the big final fight against the xenophages. The camaraderie between Eddie and the symbiote works better in this film than in the previous films and Hardy is as charming as ever. Overall, it's an enjoyable film but the story needs a lot more tightening up.

Mildly recommended--this is okay if you are fan of the character, not a general viewer.