Venom: Let There Be Carnage

In 2018 with Sony threatening to take Spider-man away from Disney's Marvel series, the studio wanted to get their own cinematic universe underway and financially they proved they were more than capable with Venom, starring Tom Hardy. It was a huge success at the box office and an excellent vehicle for its leading man but critically it was mauled apart and many fans were also left unimpressed. Having seen what more violent superhero films could achieve with Deadpool and Logan, this felt like it had been neutered in the editing room to reach a wide an audience as possible and the end result was a very formulaic, if occasionally enjoyable, action flick. Nonetheless, money talks and its sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage released in 2021. 

Now directed by Andy Serkis, the sequel follows Eddie Brock writing an article on a convicted murderer called Cletus Kasady but during a Hannibal Lecter-style interview, something happens to Kasady which releases a new alien symbiote called Carnage. I gather fans of the comics were very hyped to see this character onscreen but I knew nothing about him and, judging by the reaction that followed its release, I think that was wise. 

The story here, like the film before, is paper thin and wastes Woody Harrelson and Naomie Harris as the two villains in a story that barely lasts more than 90 minutes. There is very little time spent developing these two making the overall film feel like a quick throwaway action flick that is easily forgotten not long after watching but it is somewhat saved by another great performance from Tom Hardy who is clearly having a lot fun here. Any scenes between him and Venom are very entertaining, and there's a much better story to be found somewhere in these smaller moments. 

Unfortunately, this seems withheld by the confines of your typical superhero film as it leads to a very bog-standard action climax at the end before eventually reaching the credits. I don't want to be too hard on the film as they are some funny moments with Hardy and Michelle Williams but this fails to learn from the mistakes of its predecessor and wastes the potential an anti-hero character like this could achieve in a stronger, more daring film. Venom: Let There Be Carnage is easy, forgettable entertainment if you enjoyed the first film but I can't recommend this to anyone else.