Venom: The Last Dance | Film Review

While on the run, Eddie Brock and Venom (Tom Hardy) are pursued by a dangerous military organisation. But when aliens from Venom's home world come to Earth, the pair have to make a devastating decision that will change their lives forever.

I watched the first Venom movie when it came out years ago, didn't really like it that much, and subsequently didn't watch the second. But totally randomly last week I decided to re-watch the first movie, and ended up liking it enough to also watch the second. And as soon as I finished that, I went to the cinema to see this new one.

I really liked this film - it was so much better than I thought it was going to be!

My favourite thing about this franchise is the relationship between Eddie and Venom, and for me this film was the best version of the characters together.

Because, while the comedic moments between the pair are still there, there's a lot more heart in this story than there has been previously, and this is especially evident between the characters, who work together better than ever.

The story was also a lot tighter and more coherent this time around. I liked the first two movies but I thought the pacing was a bit all over the place, especially in the second. In this one the story hit all the right beats at the right times.

Unlike some other superhero movies, what's been clear about the Venom movies from the start is how much the filmmakers clearly love these characters.

The film was directed by Kelly Marcel, who has been a writer on the previous two movies, and Tom Hardy as well as starring was also a writer and producer on this film and the last (as well as executive producer on the first), and it has always been clear that these films are a passion project. The recurrent theme of all three films is how much the team behind them truly cares about these characters, and the ending of this film absolutely proved to me that so much love and care went into this.

And because of that, even though I haven't been a long-time fan of the franchise, I found this film really emotional. By the end I was in tears, which really surprised me! Even thinking about it now I could cry.

I've already mentioned Tom Hardy, but I think it's worth reiterating how well he plays these characters. It's not exactly a surprise considering he's widely regarded as one of the best actors around, but this character isn't an easy one and he has done such an amazing job bringing both Eddie and Venom to life.

Overall, I'm so glad that I decided to get into this franchise in time to see the final movie on the big screen. It was such a great, emotional experience and if this really is the last one, then it's the end of a great era.

8/10