Venom landed in cinemas this past fall and dominated the box office, biting off $822 million globally. Now that the film is out on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital formats, look for the fandom for the Spider-Man universe baddie to only increase.
For those who don’t know (or haven’t seen the flick yet), Venom (played brilliantly by Tom Hardy) is one of Marvel Comics’ most badass figures in their entire history. He has a passionate following, clearly from that bofo box office figure. His arrival on screens found the gamble that Sony and Marvel undertook with releasing a movie that featured solely a superhero villain without that superhero appearing in the flick at all. Think about that. That’s a crazy risk that in hindsight—given all its success-seems like a no-brainer. It was anything but.
Hardy is Venom and Eddie Brock, his alter ego that is just your mild-mannered reporter digging deep into a story that will prove incredibly fateful. That effort will cross some lines and send our titular character into a tailspin that will find him losing his job, losing his fiancé, Anne (Michelle Williams), and having him running full throttle into an alien symbiote. The latter will result in him garnering superhero powers and bring Venom to life.
The star is sensational in the role and pulling double duty as two characters finds him digging deep and when someone with that kind of talent goes that extra mile, it is something to behold. The team behind Venom hit the jackpot when casting Hardy. The actor has such command of his talent and the way he unveils the evolution of a soul that starts relatively simple and builds and molds into something that is truly otherworldly is one of his most amazing turns.
Venom doesn’t fully deliver on its promise, but it does serve as a decent first chapter in a series that is bound to come now that the flick was a blockbuster success. Director Ruben Fleischer first introduced us to his astute filmmaking gifts with the all-too-fun Zombieland (which just announced a sequel is in the works). His touch was a match made in heaven for Venom as he can deliver those intimate moments that are character driven as equally as action sequences that find him having to serve as a choreographer of violence and mayhem. Plus, there’s that whole it’s a villain movie without a superhero thing… never comes to mind while witnessing Fleischer’s flick. Should we expect more flicks of this sort? Think that Joker movie with Joaquin Phoenix didn’t get excited when Venom ruled the box office? You bet it did.
For more on the film itself, be sure to check out my theatrical Venom review.
Bonus features abound, including over an hour of features. Two that deal with the origins, Venom’s place in comic book history and his mythology are the highlights. From Symbiote to Screen is a fascinating 20-minute look. It specifically tackles the character’s origin and how the effort to bring him to the silver screen went. The informative featurette also gives us a full view of the character and how it differs in movie form versus the comic book. The headline of this bonus feature must be how the filmmakers tackled the unchartered waters of crafting a film that has villain portrayed as hero.
Taking that thought an extra step is The Anti-Hero. The ten-minute featurette delves deeper into the reluctant hero trope in Venom and how the comic book history of this character helped mold what Fleischer and his team was able to achieve with the anti-hero celebrating movie.
For those who want to know the inside scoop of the flick, while watching it, should turn on Venom Mode. It is like that pop-up video show from a few years ago and does exactly as that VH1 staple did that made it so popular. Informative tidbits and trivia about each specific moment as it happens is a priceless look at how things came together for Venom. For every fan of the character, this is a must-watch of the highest order.
There are a few deleted and extended scenes on the bonus features that add a wee bit to the overall experience.
Designing Venom is an interesting behind-the-scenes look at how the filmmaking team settled in on his look and the look of the entire picture, from production design to the make-up of Venom himself. Speaking of behind-the-scenes, The Lethal Protector in Action (great title!) explores the film’s astute action sequences, stunt work and choreography of the fight scenes. My only complaint of this particular featurette is that it left me wanting more… that is not such a bad thing.
For those who enjoy the work that goes into the filmmaking process that takes place long before anyone is on set, Select Scenes Pre-Vis takes you there. From animated storyboards to the finish product, it is something else. Among the scenes that get the Pre-Vis treatment are Carlton Drake Lab Test, Escape from the Foundation, Eddie’s Checkup, Eddie’s Apartment Fight, Bike Chase, Tower Climb, Lobby Fight, and Dog Venom. The latter may be my favorite!
Venom Vision takes a spotlight and shines it firmly on Fleischer and his work as helmer. It does something unique. Now I will seek out his work, simply knowing that his gifts of filmmaking bring an extra something to the projects he oversees bringing to life.
Like Easter Eggs? Don’t miss Symbiote Secrets that fill us all in on those little ditties you may have missed when witnessing the film the first time.
As a long-time Eminem fan, the inclusion of his video for Venom is another highlight of the Blu-Ray bonus features. Also featured is the music clip for Post Malone’s Sunflower.
Film Grade:
C
Bonus Features: B+