I’m pretty happy that I paused on doing my review of Venom after sitting on it for a few days. Initially, I was going to write the review after my Thursday night screening last week and if I had done that, I think I would’ve been in the same camp of the critics that had given it a less than enthusiastic welcoming. Coming out of the theater, the film felt a bit dated as if it should’ve been released in 2004 rather than during this golden era of the comic book movie, with Marvel leading the way in that department. I also thought the film was clearly a victim of haphazard editing in order to achieve the standard PG-13 rating so that it may one day link up with that friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in the MCU.
I decided to sit on my review because, before firing up my laptop, I jumped on Twitter to see if people shared my issues with the film and boy was I surprised when the reaction on social media was mostly positive. The critiques did point out the film’s flaws but it also pointed out the moments that made the film pretty fun. It was then that I began to think of different scenes that worked and those that didn’t and really began to turn the tide on my initial visceral reaction to the film. My praise of what works in Venom will be very faint BUT I can honestly say that, while not a good comic book movie, enough of it is entertaining in a weird sort of way that makes it a decent diversion. The movie barely clocks in at a little over 90 minutes (allegedly about 40 minutes was cut) and with a length that slim, it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Venom is a mess but it can be a fun mess at times and if viewed more as a comedy, rather than an action/adventure film, you might find a lot to enjoy in Venom, even if it’s just a split in its personality as the titular character.
The movie takes about a half-hour (nearly a third of its running length) to get off the ground as it puts all the players in place. There’s Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), the intrepid reporter who goes too far in pursuing one of his stories. Riz Ahmed’s Carlton Drake is a standard-order Lex Luthor wannabe with an ego to match his fortune and a desire to ignore ethical considerations when doing scientific experimentation. Eddie briefly has a fiancé, the devoted Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), who dumps him when he breaches her trust and gets her fired. Finally, there’s the venom creature, an alien entity brought to earth and trapped in Drake’s lab until one of the billionaire’s underlings (Jenny Slate) grows a conscience and sneaks Eddie in so he can do a story. Things get out of hand, Eddie gets too close to the alien, symbiosis occurs, and Venom is born.
The first 30 minutes of Venom is the biggest issue with the film. With the exception of Eddie Brock, none of the characters are worth getting to know much about so this introductory portion of the film feels much longer than it should and it’s actually quite dull. Even though it doesn’t go the motions of most origin tales, there isn’t enough initial action to really be invested in what’s going on.
The film takes a more positive turn when symbiosis occurs. Once Venom finally becomes a part of Brock’s personality, the film takes on a weird yet humorous buddy comedy trajectory. There’s an intriguing Jekyll and Hyde interplay between straight man Eddie and stand-up comedian Venom as the two trade barbs within the former’s mind. A lot of the dialogue is truly funny and Venom is a fully formed enough as a personality that their exchanges really work. The film’s comedy is its true strength and it makes me wonder if it could’ve gone more down the Deadpool route if it had been allowed an R-rating. The film was clearly intended to be since Venom is known to bite off a few heads and his barbs veer towards adult territory but the film pulls itself back in order to play it safe. It’s not a huge detriment but you get the impression that a much darker comedy could’ve been at play here and may have made for a more enjoyable film overall.
On top of the comedy, which mostly works, Venom largely keeps its head above water because of the 100% commitment of Tom Hardy. This is an actor that is widely seen as one of the better actors of his generation and he is known for choosing roles that are a bit left of center. I’ve read some reviews that his portrayal of Eddie Brock makes him come off as a loser that isn’t worth rooting for but Hardy makes Eddie Brock incredibly likable and even though more time could’ve been spent watching him adjust to his more darker side, Hardy does enough to make the character you can root for despite his flaws. Hardy also gives an incredibly physical performance that borderlines on slapstick as he gets used to the new entity living within his body. This won’t go down as his best performance but he’s clearly having a good time.
The other performers are a bit of a mixed bag. Michelle Williams feels out of her element a bit in a film of this stature which is weird to say since out of her element means she’s not showcasing the chops that have to lead her to multiple Oscar nominations. Maybe she wanted to slum it a bit and have a good time since I’m sure films like Blue Valentine or Manchester By The Sea don’t seem like laugh riot sets to be on. Williams has some fun moments but she never escapes the confines of the cliched girlfriend role, which is another element that feels like it belongs in 2004 rather in the slew of new comic book films where the female characters are kicking more ass than the men. I will say her and Hardy do share sufficient enough chemistry to make their scenes work but one gets the feeling that some of their material showcasing the relationship might have been part of that 40 minutes that was cut.
Riz Ahmed is stuck playing a villain that is as cliched as they come but I really say that Ahmed has enough charisma that he mostly overcomes the trappings of his character. He has moments where he’s genuinely menacing but it gets lost in a been there, done that sort of way. Jenny Slate is also on hand in a supporting role but her character also feels like a victim of the cutting room floor. Slate doesn’t get to showcase much of the personality that makes her likable and is mostly forgettable in the role.
Director Ruben Fleischer, mostly known for directing the far superior Zombieland, directs this film in standard enough way to make some of the action pop but a lot of it feels like you’ve seen it all before. The ending fight is the standard CGI heavy stuff you see in most movies like this and it doesn’t exactly break the mold. It’s chaotic without being exciting and while there is a lot of flash and dazzle, it doesn’t raise the pulse.
Much like any comic book film nowadays, there is a mid-credit scene and I will say the scene is good because of what it promises could be coming. I won’t give it away here but if done right, the sequel could be a more solid experience than this one. As it stands, what we have here, is all kinds of muddled and jumbled but a lot of it does grow on you. It may take a few days but you might find that while Venom is nowhere near Green Lantern or Catwoman levels, it’s just not in the same playing field of its more current comic book film counterparts.
