Aside from Gambit, Venom seems to be one of the most divisive character in the Marvel comics and movies. For whatever reason, people just don’t seem to like Eddie Brock or any of the symbiotes that have spawned from his infamous alien goo. Well, the fans spoke quite loudly with the first movie as it was a commercial, if not critical, success, and the teaser we got in that end credit scene has now come to fruition with Let There Be Carnage. So, will this do anything to convert Venom naysayers? Possibly, but fans of the character and series will have plenty to love and laugh about in this mostly successful sequel.
Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom have developed a somewhat harmonious relationship with Eddie laying down the rules (no eating people) and Venom taking out bad guys and constantly making fun of his lesser half. Things go awry when Eddie is convinced by Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham) to interview convicted serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) in order to solve the cold cases the sadist had left open. The investigation goes better than hoped as not only do they find the bodies, but Cletus is immediately condemned to death for the murders. During his last meal on Death Row, Cletus requests one last interview with Brock who he attacks and absorbs part of the symbiote that unleashes just as he gets his lethal injection. This “son” bonds with Cletus forming the monstrosity Carnage who escapes and proceeds to wreak havoc on the city leaving a swath of death and destruction that not even Venom might be able to stop.
The first Venom partly played off the relationship between Eddie and his other half, and this one takes it to the next level. The crux of the film and the best bits revolve around how the two of them live and fight with each other. At times, it almost feels like it’s a superhero version of The Odd Couple or even a buddy cop movie with Brock taking on the role of straight man. Watching their internal dialogue as they bicker and fight are oftentimes hilarious and sometimes poignant, but they are always entertaining.
Carnage himself, however, isn’t always quite the character he should have been or people know of from the comics. While he has no problem murdering people around him just for the hell of it, he doesn’t quite reach the levels of pure chaos that he embodies in previous iterations. Giving Cletus a backstory and even a quest to accomplish once bonded with the monster is somewhat interesting, but there are times that it makes things even sillier than they already are, and the humor should have been saved for other, more interesting people.
Which leads to one of my two gripes in that they woefully underuse Shriek (Naomie Harris), a truly sympathetic character whose downfall into madness should have been much better orchestrated and portrayed. Instead, she becomes a trope that is quickly used, abused, and discarded.
Lastly, for such a big-budget film, they still haven’t been able to get the CG right yet. These movies cost money, and Sony should throw a little extra to the tech team to get it at least halfway to what Marvel puts out on a regular basis.
As a Venom and Carnage fan since I was a kid, I was probably one of the more excited people to see this film, and I wasn’t let down in the slightest. The back and forth between Eddie and Venom never ceases to be entertaining, and while Carnage himself was a bit of a misfire, he still made a fantastic villain and foil to our hero. It is equal parts silly and stupid but also wonderfully entertaining, and especially after that jaw-dropping mid credits scene, I can’t wait to see what is in store next for our favorite Lethal Protector.