I have mixed feelings. Despite all the sympathy for both characters and the two films so far, this one unfortunately fits the opinion that superhero cinema is experiencing a creative, visible crisis. Something is jammed and cannot be unlocked. The stories feel repetitive. Both the characters and the plot are not fresh. All together, the material shows obvious fatigue. Which doesn’t mean that “Venom 3. The Last Dance” doesn’t try, doesn’t try. First of all, Tom Hardy, playing Brock, is definitely up to the challenge. I will even go so far as to say that he creates a solid and moving performance here. If I believe in anything while watching this comic rollercoaster, it’s the British actor’s performance. The film also defends itself as a spectacle. You can’t deny its action and pace. For almost two hours there is no boredom here, unless someone has already had enough of this type of film proposal.
Unfortunately, the scheme is the Achilles’ heel of this installment. Even the humor inserted here and there, most often dark, but also referring to classic cinema, does not eliminate the impression that it has all happened before, that nothing can surprise us here, that in fact it is still playing the same thing. On the same note, in the same key, without disturbing the established harmony. Maybe it works, time will tell and the box office will respond. However, although the session is an unforced experience, it does not offer anything groundbreaking or unique. Recently, on another Marvel blockbuster, I heard – a nice, meaningless two hours at the cinema. After watching Venom, I was ready to say it myself. This picture is definitely not evil, but it is also nothing special.
A lot of attention is paid here, in the promotion of the film, to the script. Tom Hardy himself was and is involved in writing the script, as well as director Kelly Marcel. If we look at certain episodes, dialogues, and quite good humor, this contribution is visible. Meanwhile, focusing on the story itself and the dramatic course, this scenario actually does not exist. The mentioned evil Knull is imprisoned on one of the planets, but despite this he is able to order a horde of creatures to find the Codex, i.e. the key that will allow him to be released, and then he will continue doing what he does best, i.e. destroying. world after world.
The Code is housed in both the Venom and Brock symbiotes at the same time. And only the death of one or both of them can irrevocably destroy this key. What’s next, I guess I don’t have to write? However, there is a lack of a concept for solid use of supporting characters, such as the cold Strickland played by Chiwetel Ejiofor or the petite and sensitive Dr. Teddy Paine played by Juno Temple. Even Rhys Ifans as an alien enthusiast, an eternal hippie slightly detached from reality, does not go beyond the template. It’s all happened before, not once or twice.
But let’s not end on a sad, gloomy and critical note. If we treat the whole thing as unforced, or just entertainment, then watching “Venom 3” does not have to be a difficult or useless experience. I’ll repeat, only Tom Hardy compensates a lot here. What’s more, there is a scene in this film, or even a certain thread, which may be a suggestion that the above-mentioned could, and who knows whether he should, become the next agent 007. As an action film, the film also fulfills its role. Just for tidbits like this, it’s nice to see this picture, especially if you’re a fan. After the screening, however, I am humming a somewhat forgotten song by our native group Lombard, “Our Last Dance”, and I am waiting for something that will not only shock me, but also move me and, above all, surprise me.
5/10
“Venom 3: The Last Dance” (Venom: The Last Dance), dir. Kelly Marcel, USA 2024, distributor: UIP, cinema premiere: October 25, 2024.