Review of 'Venom: The Last Dance '

The final Venom film sees Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) with his Symbiote Venom returning to Earth-688 following the events of the second film (“Venom: Let There be Carnage”). Meanwhile, ancient symbiote god Knull (Andy Serkis) imprisoned on the planet Klyntar seeks a “Codex” that Eddie (Venom) has accidently created inside their body which will free him from his prison so he can reclaim dominion over the Symbiotes and plunge the universe into darkness. Knull sends an army of Xenophages to retrieve the Codex which can only be tracked by the Xenophages when Venom is in full control of Eddie's body. Eddie is now a wanted man accused of killing Detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham) so he travels to New York to clear his name, but his plane is attacked by a Xenophage tracking the Codex and ends up in the Nevada dessert where they are picked up by Martin Moon (Rhys Ifans) and his family of traveling hippies on their way to Area 51. Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a soldier overseeing “Imperium” a top secret government agency studying other Symbiotes who have fallen to earth which is located in a facility under the soon-to-be-decommissioned Area 51 site in Nevada. Strickland is ordered to bring Venom down, but will the Xenophages beat him to it?

Another fun, if quite violent, instalment in the “Venom” franchise sees alien mayhem break out in the Nevada dessert. There is a lot of the trademark whit of the series here with the feeling that it never takes itself too seriously though there is also a touch of nostalgia as it is soon apparent that the Eddie/Venom relationship may be at an end with Eddie realizing how much of a part of him Venom has become. Slapstick is provided by the hippie-Area 51 Moon family in their ramshackle VW van, a relief from the symbiote violence and serving as the film's token “innocents in peril”. It is fun to see how the filmmakers have interwoven the familiar alien trope of Area 51 into the plot. The violence and action in this final film has certainly been ratchetted up as has the effects budget with several huge and impressive set pieces starting with the attack on Eddie's airplane and culminating in a huge action sequence in Area 51.

The whole key to the success of the films is the relationship between Eddie and Venom with Venom being completely uninhibited and capable of massive violence while Eddie struggles to maintain a sense of control and direction. Here Venom turns these tables slightly by being forced in a position of responsibility in protecting both his fellow symbiotes and his new home from a terrible evil from his own race while Eddie is mostly around for the ride. By focusing more on Venom the film descends into more of the familiar chaotic action and violence…what fans crave.

A lot of fun but lots of violent action in the last instalment of the Venom films that will appeal to fans but likely cause confusion to first time viewers (really, you have to have seen at least the first film…).

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2025-08-02

Directed by: Kelly Marcel

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Year: 2024

Length: 110 minutes

Genre: Action/Adventure

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16366836/