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Venom: The Last Dance concludes the trilogy with Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy – The Bikeriders) on the run for the alleged murder of Detective Mulligan (Stephen Graham – Boiling Point), from Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which I wasn’t a fan of, only saw it when it came round to TV, relatively recently, and had completely forgotten about the plot, as it was that bad.
After an early introductory scene where Eddie and Venom deal with a quartet of baddies who steal dogs, and the human half of this pairing bemoaning, “I’m stuck with a superhero who can’t fly(!)”, events move on to Area 55, a symbiote analysis plant, and GORDON’S ALIVE!!! Sorry… Mulligan is still alive.
He’s stuck in this place, as he needs a symbiote to live, making me think that Mr Graham was going to be the main baddie, but alas, he was barely used and spends most of his time looking half-asleep. Meanwhile, the top dog honour technically goes to The Batman‘s Andy Serkis‘ Knull, yet he just stayed underground the whole time, leaving us with the Xenophage, a 280-million-year old creature. Well, if he’s lived that long, how will the film deal with him in the space of less than two hours?
Cue some mad McGuffin thrown in, which I won’t reveal, but for films like Venom: The Last Dance, it’s not about the destination but the journey, instead, with a few action scenes including one outside a plane destined for New York, a horse being assimilated by Venom, and another that’s a huge Symbiote party, and since I didn’t know what type of other creatures were onscreen and duking it out, or whether I was meant to know, I figured this would be one of those films where I’d have to look it the plot afterwards to find out.
Turned out, it wasn’t a complex issue in terms of understanding what was happening as I watched it, but I’m sure those more learned about the lore would be able to pick them apart.
In short, though, Venom and Eddie are a Codex. If one of them dies, the Codex dies, and the powers that be don’t want that to happen, as the Army would rather capture and study him, as they’ve done with Mulligan.
Additionally, it took me a moment to realise for the hippy family Eddie comes across, the father, Martin Moon, was Rhys Ifans, despite him also being Dr Curt Connors/The Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man. Here’s the Moon family’s role was completely pointless other than occasional humour, but I guess they just wanted the Spider-Man link in there.
Also, it was nice to see Juno Temple (Away, Horns) as Area 55 scientist Dr. Teddy Paine, but for the most part she doesn’t get a lot to do other than stand still, looking like she’s just sucked a lemon.
As for the 3D, it’s fine, but if the film had only had been available in 2D, it wouldn’t have made a huge amount of difference, given how it just provides basic depth to the image but doesn’t do anything major with it.
Overall, as a film, Venom: The Last Dance is not as good as the first one, but better than the second. It won’t leave you much to think about afterwards, other than trying to look up the plot to work out what was actually happening, but it’s more entertaining than it has a right to be. I do like Tom Hardy in the role, he rarely gets much to do other than fighting CGI.
There is both a mid- and post-credits scene as per my video above.
Now, on to the presentation. My local Odeon keeps putting 3D films in screen 5 when they know they have a problem, and just aren’t sorting it out. I understand the 3D lens has been replaced in there, but to no avail, so I need to get back on to them.
I’m not sure at what point the projector switches over to the 3D – and if anyone knows, please tell me. I presumed it was done when the screen goes blank just before the “It’s Time” screen (which comes right before the film starts), so as not to be noticed, but everything was fine until during the usual Limitless promo, I noticed as it was ending, that the T&Cs at the bottom of the screen were a little bit out of focus.
I then wondered whether it would still change again at the “It’s Time” bit, so didn’t go out then. However, it stayed the same after that. I did nearly go out to mention this, but once the film started, there was so much going on, I couldn’t see a moment that was suitable to be able to leave for a few minutes, and then try to pick up where things are when I returned. So, I had to go with it as it was, especially since with a film like this, there’s no typical set of opening credits where no action/plot would be missed.
I’m not sure if it was a bit less affected than Transformers One, which felt pretty abysmal, or that since text and sharp lines (in CGI animation films) are often affected most, there wasn’t much text onscreen, and it was live action so there were no sharp lines to end up looking soft.
I’m presuming screen 6 (similar size to screen 5) can do 3D (the website doesn’t list 3D for either screens 5 or 6), so while they get this figured out, they really should just stop showing 3D in there if they can’t get it right, and show them in screen 6 or another 3D screen. It’s clear that whatever the problem is, even if I was to mention it to someone, and they were to correct the focus, it’s going to happen again, so whatever part(s) need an overhaul, that needs doing.
After Venom: The Last Dance, I saw The Wild Robot in 3D in screen 2, and that was fine, so it shows 3D can be done without a hitch.
I know for week 2, Venom: The Last Dance is no longer in 3D – live action films rarely tend to get a second week, sadly – but I see Coraline is returning to screen 5 in 3D from tomorrow, for example.
NOTE: There is BOTH a mid- AND post-credit scene, as per my video above.
Venom: The Last Dance is in cinemas now, and is available to pre-order on 4K Blu-ray, 4K Blu-ray Limited Edition Steelbook, Blu-ray and DVD, ahead of its release date TBA.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 110 minutes
Release date: October 25th 2024
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1; 1.90:1 (IMAX, some scenes) (Anamorphic ALFA Scope, ARRIRAW (4.5K)
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 6/10
Director: Kelly Marcel
Producers: Avi Arad, Tom Hardy, Kelly Marcel, Hutch Parker, Amy Pascal, Matt Tolmach
Screenplay: Kelly Marcel
Story: Tom Hardy, Kelly Marcel
Music: Dan Deacon
Cast:
Eddie Brock / Venom: Tom Hardy
Strickland: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Dr. Teddy Paine: Juno Temple
Martin Moon: Rhys Ifans
Detective Mulligan: Stephen Graham
Mrs. Chen: Peggy Lu
Sadie Christmas: Clark Backo
Nova Moon: Alanna Ubach
Barman: Cristo Fernández
Captain Forrest: Jared Abrahamson
Echo: Hala Finley
Leaf: Dash McCloud
Dr. Dan Lewis: Reid Scott
Jim – Security: Jack Brady
Javier: Ivo Nandi
Young Paine: Brooke Carter
Thaddeus: Fflyn Edwards
Knull: Andy Serkis (uncredited)
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.