Venom The Last Dance Review (Parting is such sweet sorrow)

 

    Hi everyone, Hector here, back again with another blog post! Hope you're all doing well as I got another exciting topic to discuss and that is none other than the third and supposed final installment of the Venom series, The Last Dance! This one I have been quite looking forward to discussing as this was one of my most anticipated movies of 2024, which sounds crazy, trust me. But I have good reason to be excited about this particular film! 

    For the story of Venom: The Last Dance, set shortly after the events of Let There Be Carnage, Venom and Eddie are on the run from not only the military and other armed forces, but also these alien creatures known as the Xenophage, which are sent by a powerful force so dangerous that even Venom himself shutters just from his name, Knull. With no one to really turn to, Eddie and Venom need each other more than ever to overcome these massive odds! 

    Regarding the Venom franchise, I'm going to say this with 100% sincerity and no shame: The Venom movies are some of my favorite Marvel movies ever, along with X2 X-Men United, along with a couple of others! Yes, they have their issues, but these movies are so much fun to watch and stand out from the crowd, thanks to the fun, chaotic tone, the brilliance of Venom and Eddie's dynamic with one another, which is thanks to Tom Hardy's brilliant performance, and how gay these movies are! They're also easy to watch thanks to their straightforward plots and short running time. I was expecting all of that walking into The Last Dance, albeit on a grand scale considering the plot of this installment, and if you love the previous Venom movies, I'm more than delighted to tell you will definitely enjoy this one! 

    I watched the previous Venom movies prior to seeing the Last Dance, which was entertaining to sit through, and it's hard for me to say where this ranks for me in the trilogy, but I will say this is the wackiest and comic book-like of the Venom films. The previous films were fairly grounded, at least for a movie about an alien that can practically do anything, but here, we get a road trip alien invasion movie, and it's the most fitting and chaotic idea for a Venom story! The movie delivers on its very exciting premise for the most part, though not without with its hiccups, but I can easily overlook them as its heart is in the right place. These movies know what they are, and Last Dance is no exception! 

    The best part of the movie, and you all knew this, is Tom Hardy in the roles of Venom and Eddie Brock! I cannot stress enough how fantastic he is in the role, and here, he's just as entertaining as he was in the previous films! Tom is hilarious as always, and the way he bounces off from himself in the two roles is enthralling to experience as Eddie is the one trying to keep things in check, while Venom is more of a wild card and unpredictable. Admittedly though, there were times where I had no clue what Tom was saying due to the voices he uses for Eddie and Venom, but aside from that, Tom's performance is fantastic here and I honestly would love to see more Venom movies with Tom Hardy in it! Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom is one of the best casting decisions in any comic book movie, and I will forever die on that hill! 

    The rest of the cast is solid too, with the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor (not as Mordo), Rhys Ifans (not as Lizard), Juno Temple, Clark Backo, and Stephen Graham, who reprises his role as Patrick Mulligan from Let There Be Carnage. They don't stand out much, save for Rhys Ifans who kind of surprised me with his laid back, yet eccentric performance, but they do good with the roles they have and had enough characterization to at least keep my attention. Special shout-out to Peggy Lu as Mrs. Chen, who I'm happy to see again as while she isn't in it much, she has an amazing scene with Venom/Eddie that was incredibly cute to witness and shows how far these characters have come. As for the villain, Knull, while not in it much, Andy Serkis plays him well, he looks amazing, and I do hope that we see more of him in the future somehow! 

    

    As for the action and visuals in the movie, it is awesome! The visual and special effects are nicely handled throughout the movie, as Venom, the Xenophage aliens, and more are stunning to look at. The big action set pieces are exciting and inventive, as we see the Venom Symbiote use their abilities in fun and unique ways. Without spoiling anything, with this being the last Venom movie, as well as embracing more of its comic book nature, the finale is nuts and kind of intense, so much so it made me wonder what was going to happen next amidst the chaos! It goes on a bit too long, but I was invested and hoping there was a way for Venom and Eddie to get out of their crazy predicament. 

    Regarding other aspects of the film, the cinematography is energetic but focused, making the action comprehensible. It's also a nice movie to look at thanks to the photography and the color grading used. The score by Dan Deacon didn't do much for me as it could have stood out more with its music, but it wasn't horrible to listen to. As for how the movie wraps up the trilogy, I will say it gets the job done on concluding Eddie and Venom's journey and the emotions are there, but I was a bit bummed out on how certain things went down. Won't say why, though not because it was poorly done or anything like that, but all I will say is I somehow hope this isn't the end, which I mean in both good and bad ways. 

    Overall, while not without its faults, Venom The Last Dance delivers a fun, exciting, and hilarious outing for this chaotic, yet charming anti-hero! It delivers on what you come to expect from the series, and I loved seeing Eddie and Venom go up against the world. Seeing how both Eddie and Venom get to bond with one another, as well as the others they befriend throughout the trilogy, was genuinely sweet to see, and I love how unhinged and fun the Venom movies are. If this is really the last time we get to see both Eddie and Venom, then they ended it on a fun note! If you weren't a fan of the previous films, this won't sway you, but for everyone else, highly recommend Venom The Last Dance if you love the Venom movies and want a fun time at the movies!