‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Review

Directed by: Andy Serkis
Screenplay by: Kelly Marcel
Story by: Tom Hardy & Kelly Marcel
Stars: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, and Woody Harrelson
Plot: Tom Hardy returns to the big screen as the lethal protector Venom, one of MARVEL’s greatest and most complex characters.

When 2018’s Venom released, it quickly became one of the most divisive films of the year. Some clung on to the absurdity of it, but others rejected every aspect of the film. Personally, I was happy to be in the minority because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought Tom Hardy was the perfect casting for the role of Eddie Brock/Venom and he plays the role in a way only he could. So, I was elated upon finding out that they were releasing the sequel so soon after moving it so many times.

The story is simplistic when it comes to the struggle of Eddie Brock trying to find the balance of everyday life and having this creature lives inside of him. He is trying to find a way to – quite literally – feed the beast, while still being the person he wants to be. Honestly, when you watch him throughout, I think one of the things I realized is how relatable the Eddie/Venom relationship truly is. We might not have an actual alien-like creature living inside us, but we often battle with our inner demons.

The banter out the gate is remarkable and picks up right where they left off from the original. Of course, their banter carried the first one and I loved that, but what stood out this time was the introduction to the relationship between Cletus and Eddie.

I could go on for hours how great the casting of Woody Harrelson as Cletus/Carnage was. Early subtle conversations give you this serial killer-like-vibe (which he is) and raise the creep level to a ten. Harrelson transcends in this role and the progression of Cletus’s character was well-written. Harrelson was a treat in this role and easily one of my favorite comic book movie villains we’ve seen recently.

There are several action sequences where you sit back and say to yourself, “THIS IS AWESOME.” Two of these moments stood out: a jailbreak sequence where Cletus has his coming out party as Carnage and the big final battle. The former was filled with creative use of the camera that engulfed us in action. The latter was unique because they utilized the things that kept Venom/Carnage grounded and made the battle much more enjoyable. You see Eddie and Cletus come out during this battle of these two creatures and it brought an excellent level of humor while showcasing some badass action.

I am sure there will be complaints about it being a bit messy, the CGI didn’t fit up to peoples standards, or the script was this or that. Honestly, I wish people would sit back, turn off their brain and enjoy the roller coaster of a ride this film is. It has the PERFECT run-time, perfect amount of humor, a banger of a soundtrack, and some kick-ass performances from the cast. Venom: Let there be Carnage is a massively enjoyable film and is even better than its predecessor.

The Verdict: B+