‘Venom: The Last Dance’ REVIEW: A Symbiotic Farewell to the Trilogy
‘Venom: The Last Dance’ REVIEW: A Symbiotic Farewell to the Trilogy
After the events of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and the Venom symbiote are on the run and being hunted following their battle with Carnage and the presumed murder of Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham). Directed and co-written by Kelly Marcel, who also wrote the previous two Venom films, Venom: The Last Dance follows this duo as they are forced to make a decision that alters both their worlds — one that binds them until death do they part.
Venom gets ready for action in Venom: The Last Dance | Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines
As the third and final film in the Venom trilogy, and the fifth installment of Sony's Spider-Man Universe (if we still consider it part of that broader narrative), Venom: The Last Dance brings to life the pages of a typical Venom comic book, especially those written by David Michelinie and drawn by Mark Bagley in the 1990s. There’s plenty of violence and action, which is to be expected.
If you enjoyed or were at least entertained by the previous Venom films, then The Last Dance may be up your alley. If not, there’s surprisingly something a bit more in store. The dynamic between Hardy’s Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote makes these film adaptations of the character successful. The banter and bickering between the two certainly make for an entertaining watch. Initially, Eddie Brock in the comics is all for killing Spider-Man, especially after passing the Venom symbiote to him one fateful night.
However, in the Venom: Lethal Protector comic book miniseries, Venom is depicted more as an anti-hero, striving to do good and outweigh the bad he has done. Topher Grace’s Venom in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 may not be a home run in terms of performance and iteration, but Hardy’s portrayal is nothing short of perfect. This time, Hardy maximizes his comedic chops whenever he faces his “own” worst enemy.
Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) bickers with Venom in Venom: The Last Dance | Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines
Marcel’s direction stands out as an outlier compared to the previous two films directed by Ruben Fleischer and Andy Serkis, who helmed the first and second films, respectively. The focus now shifts more toward Eddie and the Venom symbiote, centering on a “buddy cop bromance” story that follows their journey.
In this film, we see a more introspective Brock dealing with a sort of existential crisis—a surprising departure from the previous two installments, which could be the right move given the title’s suggestion of the character’s “last dance,” similar to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ end of the 1997-1998 NBA season.
Eddie stumbles upon Martin Moon (Rhys Ifans) and his “hippie” family, who are traveling to Area 51 in search of aliens and offer him a ride to Las Vegas. A particular scene on the road in the RV stands out as one of the film’s heartwarming moments, where Eddie reflects deeply on himself and the family he may never have. The family sings their rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” providing a neat little intermission from the otherworldly symbiote shenanigans.
Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Dr. Teddy Payne (Juno Temple), and Sadie Christmas (Clark Backo) in Area 51 in Venom: The Last Dance | Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines
Eddie and Venom soon find themselves hunted by a Xenophage, a cockroach-like creature sent by Knull, the god and creator of the symbiotes. Knull wants to retrieve a "Codex" created whenever a symbiote brings its host back to life (as seen in the first film) so he can escape the prison where he’s long been trapped. The film hints at a future encounter with Knull, leaving Carnage for dead in the second film and featuring these cockroach aliens as adversaries instead.
On the other side of the story are the military and scientist characters. Though not particularly original in Hollywood blockbusters, we are introduced to Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Rex Strickland, a commander leading a team attempting to track down Venom. Strickland shares his name with the comic book version, a U.S. Army soldier during the Vietnam War who bonded with the Tyrannosaurus symbiote. However, there is little resemblance to the original Strickland, which is disappointing since I enjoyed his team-up with Venom to stop Knull in Donny Cates' comic book run.
Now, we’re heading toward the spoiler-filled part of this review. SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Additionally, we meet Juno Temple’s Dr. Teddy Payne, a scientist working on the symbiotes at Area 55, a secret base under Area 51. She’s a filler character who adds little to the plot, though she eventually bonds with the Agony symbiote. Other symbiotes, such as Lasher, bonded with scientist Sadie Christmas (Clark Backo), and Toxin, bonded with Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham), make appearances, along with other colorful, unnamed symbiotes. These sequences feel like toy action scenes staged in your head.
Venom sticks out his tongue in Venom: The Last Dance | Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines
Seeing the film made me think about the comics written by Cates, which focus deeply on an older and more rugged Eddie Brock who isn’t seeing better days. He finds out he has a son, Dylan Brock, to whom he struggles to be a father figure. It’s about how Eddie tries to right the wrongs and make up for his past sins to live a good life, striving to be a better man and father this time around. This underdog spirit completely turns 180 degrees from the Venom character written in the 1990s. More than just an anti-hero, Eddie has become an integral part of the Marvel universe in recent years as he fights off Knull and his army, emerging as the new god of the symbiotes in the King in Black comic crossover event.
More importantly, Knull’s teasing appearance offers a change of pace. While the trailer didn’t ultimately promise Knull’s full presence, his few scenes voiced by Andy Serkis leave room for more anticipation.
Hardy may be leaving room for a new actor to reprise the role of Eddie Brock, or he might cross over into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers: Secret Wars. Surely, there’s gotta be some symbiotic presence in that film, right? Ultimately, Venom: The Last Dance may well be the best Venom film to date. It strikes the right blend of heart, action, and introspection that the previous installments perhaps tried too hard to achieve.
If you’re left wanting more of Venom and Knull, I suggest reading the Venom comic series that ran from 2018 to 2021. Cates' nuanced writing and Ryan Stegman’s dynamic art offer a fresh perspective on the symbiote anti-hero.
‘Venom: The Last Dance’ is now showing in Philippine cinemas.
