Expanding its Spider-Man universe, Sony has given the world Venom. The film is not as terrible as the many would have you believe, if for no reason other than the force of nature that is the acting talents of star Tom Hardy.
Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road) tackles the darker side of the Marvel universe as what is truly two characters—Eddie Brock and the villainous Venom. How he become the evil doer who does right on occasion, is neither here nor there as the script by Scott Rosenberg (and a committee of three other writers) fails this effort from the get-go with improbable character development, lazy plot movement and dialogue that firmly belongs in a B-movie.
In that sense, it was mildly entertaining. Toss in that Hardy hurricane and this thing can be an enjoyable experience for those who adore the character, Spider-Man or comic books in general.
Something else that is quite telling is Michelle Williams stars as Brock’s ex-girlfriend Anne Weying, who just happens to work at the evil corporation that is employing these biomedical/alien experiments that has produced the titular character. It’s also the site where Brock interviews the head of the company, Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), and goes off the rails and loses his job asking the questions that “fake news” outlets have been penalized for in today’s real world. You know, the ones that dig up the truth that ruffle feathers of those in change?
All the plot movement feels too convenient. But, if you can let the suspension of disbelief fly out the window (like a turd in the wind?… it’s in the Venom trailer), the film can provide a couple of moments that are pretty decent for the comic book movie. After all, this is a landscape that gave us Ghost Rider and Daredevil, am I right?
Director Ruben Fleischer has delivered well-thought out work previously, such as Zombieland. That film took the simplest of concepts (a zombie invasion) and made a conscious statement about our world today, fame, heck… even love. Venom could have had a field day by making a comment about the superhero blockbuster world of today and the blurring of dark and light in hopes of drawing audiences (we’re looking at you DC Universe). I bring up DC also because, before heading into the theater, this thing felt most like a cousin to Suicide Squad.
The thing is, when building an entire film (or franchise) out of characters that are traditionally villains and giving the audience no hero to cheer for throughout, that is a problem. The issue with Venom is he is not that nice, mirroring the crew that comprised Suicide Squad. Sure, they may be doing admirable things, such as bringing justice to those who are even lower than them on the evil scale. But, in the end, it is still baddie battling baddie and that just doesn’t make for heroic cinema. Let’s be real—that is what the superhero movie genre is at its core. That is what audiences come to expect. That’s why I said that those who enjoy the character of Venom from the comic books will get something out of this experience. If you were to make a Venn diagram of potential audience members for Venom, it would be the smallest of slices of pie.
Trying his best to be the “hero” of said genre is Hardy. The actor does some stellar and extraordinary work as this two-sided character. Brock walks down the street, talking to himself and for the most part, no one bats and eye. This isn’t New York City people, this is San Francisco. Me thinks people would notice a wee bit. But, I digress. Hardy captures our fancy from the film’s opening moments—as only he can—and rivets us throughout the entire storyline that almost makes us forget about the lazy writing and plot that is infinitely more convenient than contrived… and that is not a good thing.
The things Hardy does is out of this world. He commands our attention by building a character that is a champion of the little guy and in these days of few who are that way in real life, that is sure welcomed. Then, as he becomes the split personality of Brock/Venom. How Hardy handles the transformation and elevation of the soul that is taking over his persona is bloody brilliant. It’s like no one told Hardy that he is in a sci-fi B-movie! He treats the work as if it is as powerful as his roles in The Revenant, Warrior and Dunkirk. Sony Pictures and the film’s producers should thank him profusely as he single-handedly saves Venom from being a lock for landing on a slew of top 10 worst movies of the year list.
Someone who knew what she was getting into, B-movie-wise, is Williams. The Oscar winner does not mail in her performance, but there’s a distance between the actress and the character that is never remotely visible in a Michelle Williams role. Then again, her character is not that fully developed, not given that much to do in the larger scope of things and overall, a pretty thankless female love interest part that seems to be the majority of what is available to actresses of late.
Venom is not a must-see in the theaters type of film, nor is it a piece of popcorn fare that has audiences content to eat the buttery stuff while being whisked away for two hours of mindless fun. Does it achieve its goal in establishing a break-off world from Spider-Man that the studio hopes to milk from that Marvel agreement? Yes, it does. The primary reason, solely, surrounds the titanic talent of the name that sits at the top of the marquee. Venom, despite having many more failings than fortunes, finds Hardy giving a performance that warrants a second chance for all involved to give the actor a movie worthy of what he has puts into the role.
Simply put, I want to see Hardy as this character again. In a “if I ran Hollywood” world, honestly, that would find him going tête-à-tête with Tom Holland as the villain in a future Spider-Man sequel. Hey, one can dream!
Grade: C