Being Rated R probably would have saved this; I am just saying!
This trilogy-capper almost makes me question if I have become more of a movie critic than a movie enjoyer. Then I remembered this is Sony's Spider-Man Universe we are talking about, which gave us films like "Morbius" and "Madame Web." I nonetheless went in here with an open mind, considering I do not mind the two previous "Venom" films that came out. After seeing "The Last Dance," I question whether Sony was trying to set up their universe or give Eddie Brock and Venom the send-off they deserve. I am sadly leaning more toward the former.
I should preface this review by telling you what I thought of the other two "Venom" films upon rewatch in preparation for this third installment. Those were entertaining yet disappointing superhero films saved by the performance of Tom Hardy as both Eddie Brock and Venom. The first was innocent enough, with a dull first and more engaging second half, a weak villain in Riz Ahmed's Carlton Drake/Riot, exciting action, and Hardy performing nicely. Its sequel, "Let There Be Carnage," surprisingly got better when revisiting it, easily surpassing its predecessor, with Hardy allowed to stretch his comedic abilities with Brock and Venom bickering hilariously. In addition, there is Woody Harrelson's enjoyable performance as Cletus Kasady/Carnage, who manages to rise above the flaws, including the disappointing inclusion of Naomie Harris' Frances Barrison/Shriek. Hardy was allowed to have fun with his characters, and the movies complimented him with a narrative that was not too complicated. The opposite is true for "The Last Dance."
Let's get the positives out of the way first. It is a short list, which I am deeply saddened by, but I want to show you how it is not the worst superhero film out there or even the worst film of the year.
Despite a woeful screenplay, Tom Hardy still does skillfully with Eddie Brock and Venom. He is not allowed to have as much fun as he did in the prior two films, but he is trying his best (right, the positives. Sorry).
The rest of the cast delivered equally solid performances, with the other standout being Chiwetel Ejiofor as Orwell Taylor. Ejiofor always has a commanding presence whenever he is in a movie, with his characters of Baron Mordo in the two "Doctor Strange" films and Bathurst 2020 in the forgettable "Infinite" being the two I can think of at the top of my head. Even if the film is not the best, Ejiofor makes it work, and if it is fantastic, he always steals the show.
The visual effects bring Venom and the other alien characters to gorgeous life. The other two "Venom" movies, granted, had remarkable CGI, but it is worth mentioning, specifically when discussing the positives.
The action is somewhat fun. The "Venom" movies have always had enjoyable action. Unfortunately, "The Last Dance" was the least fun action-wise, but the first scene with action was sweet.
The Venom symbiote is sometimes uniquely utilized. The trailers showcased Venom controlling a horse, and in the film, it is one of its best scenes. I am unsure if this is a spoiler, but he controls other animals, and they introduce other symbiotes, which is fun.
I think that is it for the positives.
I felt the portrayal of Eddie Brock and Venom this time was not good. Again, Hardy tried, but there were multiple times when it felt like he was bored. His character was, admittedly, bored at intervals, and Hardy is a screenwriter, but I am saying how it felt.
The film tries to add new characters, but they are not compelling. The most obvious example is Dr. Payne, played by Juno Temple, who does nothing aside from believing that Brock is not a danger, while Ejiofor wants what is best for the world, considering the alien threat from Knull.
Speaking of Knull, he was worse than Carlton Drake. He only sends alien minions to grab a MacGuffin that Venom has. I have not read the comics, but the impression I get from others and this movie is that Knull has a profound lore not represented here. Having Knull's alien pals and the Area 51 agents as the villains is too much, yet somehow too little.
They also wasted Stephen Graham's Detective Mulligan. The trailers made it seem like Mulligan would be a principal and intriguing character. The only two interesting aspects about Mulligan are he has a symbiote and warns of Knull. That is it.
Furthermore, it does not have that much comedy. "Let There Be Carnage" can easily be classified as a comedy, and I laughed more than I would like to admit. I think two laughs and three to five chuckles were all I had here. The film was not funny outside of the Venom horse and some banter between Brock and Venom.
On top of that, there was not that much emotion. It is due to how much Brock and Venom were not well utilized and the clutter of characters. I did not care about the Area 51 personnel nor the unnamed family who brought Brock and Venom to Vegas. When the ending came along, which heightened the stakes to an unbelievable degree, I did not get emotional. It tried, but it failed to work.
The other two "Venom" movies were entertaining, but this failed to come close. In an era where "superhero fatigue" is becoming more accepted, this trilogy-closer did not try anything new. Fascinating concepts here and there, and many standout scenes fail to save this disappointment in a franchise filled with them.
Technically, a 6/10. Outside of the plot and the underwhelming screenplay, the visual effects remain exceptional, the actors did great, and the film functions.
For the enjoyment score, I wanted to like this film. I had the sneaking suspicion that it might not work, but watching "Let There Be Carnage" increase in quality gave me hope. It was no "Let There Be Carnage" and is easily the weakest of the trilogy. It had the issues that plagued the likes of "Spider-Man 3" and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," but does not come close to being as entertaining as them. I am so unhappy that the enjoyment score is a 4/10, but this trilogy deserved a better conclusion. Maybe it will get better when I watch it again, but as it stands, it is best for me to recommend you wait until Netflix or even Disney+.
