Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris

[AlbertV]

[masterofoneinchpunch]

I watched this in the theater of course. I found the original to be better than I was expecting, though the fight/action scenes were mediocre with an abuse of camera movement and quick-editing. But Tom Hardy is a good actor and his version of Venom is solid. It is still good here, though sometimes the humor is a combination of cheesy and wincing. Hardy was one of the writer which I find interesting. In fact the character is my favorite part of the film. I do not like the second one as much as the first. 

Venom is the victim/benefit of circumstance. It technically is a parasitic relationship in the guise of a symbiotic one (both do benefit from it). Both are losers from their worlds, but both have become more important because of it. 

I may have comic book movie fatigue (is it a syndrome yet), but I think there is enough faults in here on its own. The obvious is the action scenes which are filmed in the Paul Greengrass style of tremulous excitement (like giving a ten-year old a camera). Gives me a headache. 

It also makes you appreciate the Shang Chi fight scenes more. Add in Natural Born Killers (hard not to think of the movie when you see Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady -- playing a younger man then he is) and you have an OK character. More writing should have been done with it especially as some important dialogue toward the end would have had more effect. Really it is his relationship with Shriek that was decent but could have been used to better effect (a somewhat disappointing ending). Naomie Harris's obvious mutant ability (pointing to X-men) is effective to a certain extent. And well it also makes you think of a teaming for Natural Born Killers 2. Small spoilers: Is it the 90ish minute runtime that affects this? Possibly, but the rom-com break-up of Venom feels rom-comish (and we know the basic rom-com patterns). The bickering is cute for awhile, but sometimes gets annoying. They could do their own stage version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? I know Tom Hardy could do it. Also doesn't it feel like this film just wants to be R-rated? 

But both relationships are decent-to-good, but needed more work in the screenplay. You feel sorry for Eddie Brocks love of Anne Weying actually to the point where you feel he deserves more. You feel more for the the antagonists. 

There is a credit scene which is important. I cannot spoil it, but makes a nice watch and, of course, leads to the future. Since this movie has done well, I am looking forward to what will happen with this. 

[Drunken Monk]

For me, this was by far the worst movie of 2021. I spent $6 renting it last night and I want both my time and money back.

The plot (what little plot there is) feels rushed and scattered, Woody Harrelson is abysmal casting and the action set pieces are, for the most part, mundane. The only thing good about this one is the occasional one-liner from Venom. Everything else I pretty much hated.

It’s obvious no one knows how to handle Venom as a character. What should be a brutal, R rated character has been transformed into a comedic cartoon. It just doesn’t work for an entire movie. It ends being what the kids call “cringe.”

I love a good superhero movie but this one just doesn’t cut it. Worst of the year.

[AlbertV]

52 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said:

For me, this was by far the worst movie of 2021. I spent $6 renting it last night and I want both my time and money back.

The plot (what little plot there is) feels rushed and scattered, Woody Harrelson is abysmal casting and the action set pieces are, for the most part, mundane. The only thing good about this one is the occasional one-liner from Venom. Everything else I pretty much hated.

It’s obvious no one knows how to handle Venom as a character. What should be a brutal, R rated character has been transformed into a comedic cartoon. It just doesn’t work for an entire movie. It ends being what the kids call “cringe.”

I love a good superhero movie but this one just doesn’t cut it. Worst of the year.

Trust me, you haven't seen HellKat (MMA film about a woman who must go to Hell literally to save her son)...that was MY worst film of 2021. VLTBC wasn't too bad IMO. It was watchable. Not as good as the original, but still enjoyable thanks to the Venom one-liners and the scene where he took over Mrs. Chen with Anne confronting him was a hoot.