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Movie review: ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ delivers a touching finale, blending action with nostalgia

Venom (Tom Hardy) smiles sinisterly at the camera. The final installment of the “Venom” franchise, “Venom: The Last Dance” released in theaters everywhere Friday. (Courtesy of IMDb)

“Venom: The Last Dance”

Directed by Kelly Marcel

Sony Pictures Releasing

Oct. 25

By Gavin Meichelbock

Oct. 25, 2024 3:38 p.m.

This post was updated Oct. 27 at 10:16 p.m.

“Venom: The Last Dance” is a shockingly beautiful curtain call.

Director Kelly Marcel delivered a timeless comic book love story with “Venom: The Last Dance,” which released in theaters Friday. After becoming the prime suspects in a murder investigation, the symbiotic duo, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom (also played by Hardy), set out for New York City to clear their name. While on the run from the law, Eddie and Venom have to not only evade an Area 51 task force but, more importantly, Xenophages – Symbiote hunters sent by Venom’s creator, Knull, the Symbiote God (Andy Serkis). With their enemies quickly closing in, Eddie and Venom must fight for their lives as they take their last dance. Even though the plot is absolute carnage, “Venom: The Last Dance” features character moments that provide the film with powerful emotional stakes.

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Looking back on the first two “Venom” films, the plots have never been this franchise’s strong suit due to middling storylines and poor pacing – and that unfortunately continues in the latest entry. Eddie and Venom are wanted for murder and plan to blackmail a judge in the hopes of clearing their name. This intrinsic incident is wholly lost once the Symbiote shenanigans are introduced. While Venom bonding with fish is a funny spectacle, for example, and Xenophages devouring soldiers is what audiences paid to see, these moments cause the film to feel disjointed – booked by a storyline that carried little weight in the script.

A second plot contrivance in “Venom: The Last Dance” is how it needlessly manufactures tension. A prime example of this is the alien-obsessed family that primarily exists to ensure there will be innocent bystanders Venom has to save during the final battle. While these new characters lead to one funny sequence and a heartwarming moment, they only exist to eat up runtime during the film’s second act. But as other “Venom” films have proved, engaging side characters are not its focus – it’s all about Eddie and Venom – and “Venom: The Last Dance” delivers the strongest character moments in the franchise.

Eddie and Venom’s love-hate relationship has always been a delight to watch, and this installment triples down on that. “Venom: The Last Dance” accomplishes this – in part – through action. Whenever heads were viciously knocked around or bitten off in the first two films, Eddie would be swallowed by the suit as Venom took over the scene, literally and figuratively. In “Venom: The Last Dance,” however, they work together to devastate enemy goons, drop-kick thugs and deliver their iconic catchphrase, “We are Venom.”

Another surprising addition to the set pieces is when Eddie and Venom become separated by sonic attacks and have to fight their way back to each other. The audience is accustomed to watching Venom tear through faceless foes, but their separation adds a new dynamic to what could have been stale bits of action. Not only are there legitimate stakes since Eddie is now vulnerable without the suit, but the desperation Venom shows while trying to rebond with him emphasizes how intimate their relationship has become throughout the development of the franchise.

Aside from heightening the character dynamics through action, “Venom: The Last Dance” also deepens their symbiotic relationship by reflecting on the events of the previous two movies. These films have subtly acted as a romance between Eddie and Venom, but this is the first time the series drives that point home. The film flashes through iconic scenes from “Venom” and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” to remind viewers how much these characters have been through together. Whether it be goofy scenes such as riding a motorcycle through San Francisco or the time Eddie died while fighting Riot, they come off as impactful events that shaped these characters’ lives by reestablishing these moments to the audience.

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By connecting the events of this film back to the previous ones, “Venom: The Last Dance” is elevated beyond just another superhero sequel to being a satisfying final step in the characters’ journey. Character moments are imbued with newfound emotional weight since the ups and downs of Eddie and Venom’s relationship are fresh in the viewer’s mind. Unlike other superficial third act sacrifices that fail to garner a reaction from the crowd, this movie does the legwork of reminding audiences of these characters’ journey together, which plays like a punch to the gut. As “Memories” by Maroon 5 plays over a montage of Eddie and Venom’s most memorable moments from the series, it feels right at home to cap off their romance in the franchise’s final entry.

In a world of forced comic book movie sequels, the commitment of “Venom: The Last Dance” to delivering a heartfelt conclusion for its title characters makes it a satisfying film despite its plot issues.

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Gavin Meichelbock
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