By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
Within just 10 minutes of watching
"Venom: The Last Dance," I found myself wishing I had stayed home to catch my Rams on Thursday Night Football instead.
This sequel, directed by
Kelly Marcel (TV's "The Changeling") and co-written by its star
Tom Hardy ("The Bikeriders"), struggles to capture the essence that made its predecessors—"Venom" and "Let There Be Carnage"—entertaining.
The film picks up after the chaotic events involving the murder of Patrick Mulligan, leaving former journalist Eddie Brock/Venom (Hardy) in a precarious situation.
Now on the run, Eddie, and his alien symbiote are hiding out in a bar in Mexico, nursing their wounds and concocting a plan to clear his name in New York. However, their plans are quickly derailed as they find themselves entangled in the glitzy yet dangerous underbelly of Las Vegas.
Unbeknownst to Eddie, he's being hunted by a nightmarish creature known as a Xenophage, along with the relentless Imperium commander Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor, "The Life of Chuck").
Strickland is a menacing presence, determined to capture Eddie and uncover the secrets of the symbiote. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Dr. Payne (Juno Temple, TV's "Fargo"), a scientist obsessed with symbiote research at a top-secret facility. Her character, while intriguing, becomes just another piece in a disjointed puzzle.
One of the film's more perplexing subplots involves a group of hippies, led by Rhys Ifans (TV's "House of the Dragon"), who embark on a road trip to Area 51 in hopes of encountering extraterrestrial life. While this promises a sense of adventure and whimsy, it falls flat.
Sadly, "Venom: The Last Dance" suffers from an overload of ideas. The pacing is uneven, jumping erratically from one plot point to another without offering the necessary connective tissue. The dialogue, which should provide the film's comic relief, often feels stilted and unoriginal, failing to deliver the witty banter that fans have come to expect from the franchise.
Moreover, the special effects, a hallmark of superhero films, are underwhelming.
While Hardy's portrayal of Eddie Brock remains engaging, even he can't salvage this uninspired screenplay. If you are a die-hard fan of the franchise, you might find a few redeeming qualities, but for those hoping for a thorough entertaining experience, you might be better off staying home and catching a football game instead.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Look At This Trailer For
"VENOM: THE LAST DANCE"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Critics Choice Association, The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
