"With the 2018 film Venom, Tom Hardy locked himself into a three-picture deal, giving his time, talents and torso to this saga about a man named Eddie Brock possessed by a fanged, body-snatching alien parasite", which jumps in and out of his body at will, said Amy Nicholson in The New York Times. Venom: The Last Dance brings the trilogy to a close, and it is, "in glimpses", quite interesting: a drama about a drunk who is "unbearably lonely despite being conjoined with a garrulous monster".
In the first film Eddie was an investigative journalist with a fiancé; "here, he's a filthy drifter" who has lost "his career, his woman and his reputation", and been forced to go on the run. There are "mild pleasures" to be had – such as the moment when Eddie/Venom is "suctioned to the fuselage of an airplane" and sighs: "It is so unpleasantly cold." But these are "overwhelmed by a barrage of underdeveloped supporting characters", played by the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rhys Ifans, and by a "banal" plot about saving the world.
This film "will have most accompanying adults shaking their head in despair within five minutes", said Matthew Bond in The Mail on Sunday. But the army of young Venom fans will enjoy a movie "that remains faithful to its comic-book roots" and is funny enough.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"One of life's great mysteries" is that this "unspeakably stupid" series "has grossed more than $1bn worldwide", said Johnny Oleksinski in the New York Post. This instalment seems likely only to induce a "migraine" in those masochistic enough to buy a ticket. "So long, Venom. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
-
Political violence: The rise in leftist terrorismFeature A new study finds that, for the first time in decades, attacks by far-left extremists have surpassed far-right violence in the U.S.
-
The GOP: Merging flag and crossFeature Donald Trump has launched a task force to pursue “anti-Christian policies”
-
October 7 editorial cartoonsCartoons Tuesday’s political cartoons include Chicago in trouble, RFK Jr's medical advice, and more
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipeThe Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Hooray for Brollywood: the UK’s film industry is booming – for nowIn The Spotlight US production giants are flocking to film in British studios but Trump tariffs could threaten end of golden era
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite booksThe Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
6 incredible homes under $1 millionFeature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classicThe Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period dramaThe Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thrillerThe Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’
-
A Booker shortlist for grown-ups?Talking Point Dominated by middle-aged authors, this year’s list is a return to ‘good old-fashioned literary fiction’
