Venom: The Last Dance is a superhero/buddy comedy, the third and final installment in the Tom Hardy helmed series started with 2018's Venom. Eddie Brock(Hardy) is on the run from the law after the events of Venom: Let There Be Carnage only to be attacked by multi-dimensional monsters at the behest of the symbiotes creator Knull. Eddie also crosses paths with the Imperium the alien-focused branch of the government/military.
Hardy is as compelling and funny as ever, taking his performance even further turning what has heretofore been a kind of a double act, he and Venom(who he also voices), into almost a straight up love story. Its gonzo and effective. The supporting cast don't have a ton to do but its great to see Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, and Rhys Ifans although Temple and Ifans have some pretty bizarre American accents. Overall a solid cast if a noticeable glut of Brits. The best of course is the return of Peggy Lu as Mrs. Chen who makes a brief appearance for a wonderful dance sequence.
Filmed in Spain it doesn't really look like the American southwest but it looks good. There are a fair amount of needle drops which are cool but don't totally make sense tonally. The CGI is used sparingly until the final battle and it works well.
This has always been an odd series, not quite sure what it wants to be, conventional superhero fair or an inversion of it. At least tonally this hits closer to home, it is exceedingly odd, which it seems to have been trying to be all along. But its not really able to go fully off the leash and not only here but throughout the series has never been able to meet its potential.
Pleasingly bizarre and surprisingly heartfelt if constrained by convention.
Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.
Rent It.
