Venom: The Last Dance (Kelly Marcel, 2024)

Venom meets one particular part of Independence Day in The Last Dance, which turns out to be the most conventional Venom movie so far.

It’s a rousing, crowd pleasing feature, that gives the people what they want, while also adding an extra dimension, even though to my mind it’s not that original.

However, I do believe audiences will like it, and in that way it’s a fitting conclusion to this trilogy (even though there are hints it may continue in some way, shape or form).

For myself, I liked it a little less than the first two movies. I know, the first one was a bit of a mess, but as an introduction to Tom Hardy playing both reporter-at-large Eddie Brock and his symbiote Venom was such a shock to my system that I loved it anyways. 

And the second one, a 90 minute bromance movie, complete with break up and reconciliation, was just perfect, thank you very much. 

Let There Be Carnage is so weird and wonderful, that Paul Thomas Anderson and I agree that it was one of that year’s best movies.

(I’ll let that sink in for a little while.)

Now that I’ve chased away all Venom-haters, let me explain why I love the new one just a little less. 

The witty banter between Eddie and Venom is still its unique selling point, but it’s also beginning to feel a little more sitcom-y: two characters who are at times s  much at odds with each other, but who have also learned to live with each other’s quirks and eccentricities. (Like Sheldon en Leonard in The Big Bang Theory, but without all the neuro science stuff.)

Science stuff, however, brings me to the great Juno Temple, who plays a crucial role as Dr. Payne, who wants to study Eddie and Venom scientifically. 

She, however, finds herself at odds with General Mansfield (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who basically wants to kill all symbiotes. (I’m simplifying a little bit here, but not all that much.)

There is also Martin, played by Rhys Ifans, who basically channels Randy Quaid’s character from Independence Day. Martin and his family are on their way to Area 51, which is going to be shut down forever in the next couple of days.

It’s no real surprise that all the main characters will eventually find themselves in Area 51 for a big, overly long finale, that has something to do with Marvel supervillain, Knull, and his hench-monsters.

I will respect the producers’ wish to spoil as little of the plot and the fan / fun stuff as possible, I just want to say that all in all I thought the movie was a little too normal for a Venom movie.

Still, the money is on the screen, most of the action scenes and special effects look pretty good, while screenwriter Kelly Marcel convinces as a blockbuster director with her first feature.

So as a general superhero comic book movie I think it’s just fine and dandy, and if you like the movie more than me, I’m genuinely happy for you.

And yes, this is the one thing you will want to know, cause everyone loves Mrs. Chen, and she shows up halfway through the movie for a very funny musical number.

Venom 3 isn’t called The Last Dance for nothing.

I give it 3 1/2 stars.