Starring: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Clark Backo, Alana Ubach
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Runtime: 109 mins. Reviewed in Nov 2024
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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Eddie and Venom, on the run, face pursuit from both worlds. As circumstances tighten, they’re compelled to make a heart-wrenching choice that could mark the end of their symbiotic partnership.
It seems that diehard Venom fans are quite pleased with this third film in the franchise. Journalist Eddie Brock (Hardy) is symbiotically tied to the parasite that lives inside him – Venom, which transforms into a fearsome creature with strong gnashing teeth and beyond pterodactyl wings… It begins with Tom Hardy, as an immigrant to the US, eager to see the Statue of Liberty and enjoy the American lifestyle, including a gambling spree in Las Vegas!
However, this is an episode which may not garner many converts. The film is frequently quite grotesque, not only Venom and his dark visuals as it takes over Eddie, but a grim opening, way beyond the extremities of the universe, a sinister Xenolphage who exhorts even more fearsome and ugly creatures to destroy a codex (actually inside Eddie and Venom) and annihilate the world.
Hardy, who contributed to the story with the writer of all three Venom films, Kelly Marcel, who now directs, tends to be fairly weary of it all while Venom is excited. And the film is very episodic, a kind of Roswell site about to be demolished, Ejiofor is the military commander, Juno Temple an ambitious scientist, the exploits in the underground laboratories exploring parasites and Symbiotes. Eddie and Venom are in Mexico, board a plane (on the outside) for New York are involved in a sky-high confrontation with monsters, falling to earth, and continually pursued by the military.
Then, cheerfully, there is a rather hippie family, led by Rhys Ifans, believing in aliens and eager to see them, giving Eddie a lift who befriends the family. But, Venom is eager for a Las Vegas experience.
But, everyone comes together at the soon to be abandoned site with all kinds of special effects, explosions, pursuits, mayhem… But, of course, the ending (for most if not all). A distraction came while watching the film for the reviewer, who wondered what would be God’s response as God sat down to watch Venom, thinking about the wonders of creation and realising that it might be beyond divine powers to imagine such a grimly contorted scenario as this one!
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