Directed By Andy Serkis

Starring – Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson

The Plot – Venom (Hardy) springs into action when notorious serial killer Cletus Kasady (Harrelson) transforms into the evil Carnage.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some strong adult language, disturbing material and suggestive references

venom let there be carnage trailer – YouTube

POSITIVES

– Beneficial improvements. While it pains me to say that this sequel to the 2018 original film is still leaps and bounds from where it rightfully should be, with respect to its iconic comic counterpart, there is still more than enough shining examples that keep it from the inescapable pitfalls of its predecessor. For starters, Hardy is directed to completely remove the riyoudiculously marble-mouthed Brooklyn accent that dominated and obscured most of his deliveries in the previous film, in favor of a naturalistic enveloping that simultaneously plays into the appeal of his exceptional comedic timing. In addition to this, the villain of Cletus Kasady is a far more expansive and commanding presence than that of Riz Ahmed’s antagonist from the previous film, whom I still can’t remember his character’s name to this very day. I wish the film would’ve fleshed Kasady out with more commitment during the initial scenes in that first act, but he’s given a backstory, a conflict, and no shortage of empathy as a result of being one of the many kids who fell through the systematic cracks of mold-bearing childhood. Finally, and most pleasing to me, is the presentation itself, which rids itself of this putrid blue encompassing of color correction during the first film, and here supplants an appeal of iconography to the many familiar images that adored the pages of its comics. The film is still a bit too forcefully dark for my personal tastes, but at least it doesn’t look shot through a continuous smokey lens, which supplanted what I still feel is the ugliest looking superhero genre film of all time.

– Rating limitations. Perhaps most surprising to me is the element of engagement from a PG-13 rating that didn’t hinder or diminish the appeal of the two rival supernatural forces in the foreground of this narrative. Would an R-rating better suit the macabre and vitriol of their most definitive traits? Absolutely, but Serkis makes the most of what’s given here, and in captivation is able to visually convey resounding violence that didn’t suffer at the hands of its occasionally problematic editing. Instead, there’s brutality among documented deaths, continuous peril that occasionally feels insurmountable by superhero odds, and even the scintillating four letter word that pushes the envelope to its brink without stepping to the next level of its rating. Considering the material and especially the dialogue are so grounded in elementary personality, the meat of its action sequences refuses to suffer, giving us plenty to embrace in what are the single most definitive features that link Venom and Carnage together seamlessly.

– Magnetic leads. Hardy is once again a force of nature as Eddie Brock, giving his emotional and physical everything in respect to the character, that lesser actors would’ve virtually slept through. Hardy’s dynamic with his internal parasite is still the very best part of this franchise, if even just for the reason that it allows Hardy the freedom to explore some comedic roots that otherwise go entirely unnoticed with the majority of his respective filmography. The timing is there, but more importantly, the vulnerability, outlining a protagonist whom still conveys the conflicting struggles while donning a literal suit of invincibility. Woody Harrelson is equally a charming presence, investing into a mentally frail and complexity within the character that brings a revealing layer of immaturity in both his dialogue and demeanor, which are signs of his halted growth during adolescence. Harrelson is having the time of his life in the role, chewing up as much scenery as an engulfing flame, while taking some of the load off of the shoulders of Hardy, to keep their dynamic continuously fresh throughout.

– Enhanced gifts. Creativity strikes within the many gifts and powers of Venom, whose introduction in the original movie sparred us of the time needed to depict what he’s truly capable of. Here, it’s presented in manners pertaining in everything from photographic memory, to evidence recreation in sketching, to even computer hacking for the answers he seeks quickly in catching up to his adversary. On his own merits, Venom is a powerfully unstoppable character whose aggression invests no shortage of fear in everyone he comes across, but adding this cerebral side to his portrayal makes the character feel virtually inescapable with regards to his opposition, playing around with the creative psychology of the antihero that offers a thought-provoking contrast to the perils of the tragedy within the curse, which have been firmly documented to this point.

– Bonus treat. Like every Marvel movie, there’s a post-credit scene at the end of it, but this one is so eye-opening and definitive that it stands as my single favorite scene of the movie, and one that is among my very favorites in the collection of lasting images and internal feelings. Obviously, I won’t spoil anything here, but the way it not only sets the movements in motion for the Venom character itself, but also this particular direction of Marvel storytelling certainly feels like a boost of importance to Sony helmed properties, especially considering Sony has wasted away a decade of disrespecting the characters they own. In terms of anticipation for what’s to come, I simply couldn’t imagine a bigger, bolder expression for the crossroads of what’s about to come, and considering this incarnation of Venom is so diverse from the one we grew up with in the comics, it will be interesting to see how he’s worked in from a tonal and creative perspective.

NEGATIVES

– Rushed execution. With so many characters and respective arc’s introduced and worked into the dynamic of the movie’s storytelling, 90 minutes is simply not enough to color their appeal, creating an often disjointed effort that creates no shortage of problems along the way. First off, the pacing is rampantly condemning, stripping those nuanced moments of subtlety and spontaneity for a collection of heavy-handed moments that wear thin within their consistency. Because of such, “There Will Be Carnage” feels like a cliff notes version of the biggest moments from a bigger two hour production, and whose editing of those downtime moments creates an unpleasant whiplash effect in this story constantly moving while trying to interpret it all. On top of this, characters are introduced and disappear for longer periods than necessary, and are only brought back when the climax absolutely requires them to be there to even the odds, especially Michelle Williams’ Anne, who is relegated to a supporting role here after being second billing in the original. Finally, the overall lack of Carnage itself serves as a victim of this condensed captivity, and one that ultimately keeps the character from reaching the level of potential needed to satisfy fans accordingly, creating false advertising of the most manipulative kind.

– Three ring Serkis. Considering this is the same man who has revolutionized computer generation to the believable levels it currently attains, there’s much disappointment to be had with Andy’s second directorial effort. While the presentation is improved, as I previously alluded to in my positives, this is still a very mundane, lifeless shell of a sequel, and one that lacks the energy or appeal in superhero narratives to stand out against some substantially stylish superiors. It’s made even worse in the herky, jerky schemes of camera movements that often overcomplicate the movements of characters and vehicles in frame one moment, while refusing to articulate the identity of its unique geographic setting in another. On top of it all, the C.G itself remains dull and generic for the sparse details in the character design of Venom and Carnage alike. Especially for the latter, it would’ve been a chance to cement his appearance as something far more devastating and deadlier than his genetic counterpart, but instead summarizes a direction by Serkis that is a monumental missed opportunity for his brilliance, giving us a carbon copy helmed effort that honestly could’ve been done in equal by any first time director looking to make a name for themselves.

– Comic dominance. As I previously conveyed, this film does a lot better in terms of its predecessor that allows it to just edge it out as the superior film, but my single biggest glaring problem is doubled down in improper tonal enveloping. I don’t mind comedy in superhero films, as I feel they add compelling moments of levity to the high stakes and universal peril that is a consistency in films like these. However, “There Will Be Carnage” trades in the science-fiction and occasional horror moments of its traits, in favor of a buddy comedy between Eddie and Venom of the worst kind. The material itself mostly fell flat with me, and maintained Venom as this spoon-fed reactionary track, only meant to fill audiences with forced chuckles. In addition, it also maintained being a poor and unintelligible depiction of its titular character, taking him from being a menacing antagonist in the comics, and here making him the loud, obnoxious roommate of Eddie Brock, whom is continuously kept on a leash of convenience. Comic moments are fine in doses, but when used this consistently throughout, limit the stakes and suspense of the antagonist tenfold, and soil the identity of its titular character more than any other element of production ever could.

– Rudimentary dialogue. Sweet Jesus, where do I begin with this one? We have stepped back into the past about twenty years, when comic book films and their prominent characters persisted through a variety of line deliveries so bad that the actors saying them added an extra zero to the end of their paychecks. The biggest victim in this scenario is Naomie Harris’ Shriek, a supernatural villain on her own accord, whose shoe-horned emphasis to the film not only diminished her appeal in the long run, but also supplanted her with deliveries that made her stand out for all of the wrong reasons, even in a film this chaotic. Part of it is its limitations in just being stock dialogue for villains of any shape and size, or genre to its lack of appeal, but the bigger problem is that her lines are so forced in adding an emphasis to the deliveries that they often lead to puns or callbacks (Like the red wedding in “Game of Thrones”) that don’t feel natural in the slightest within the contexts of the scene, and instead conjure up a series of lines meant to cater to a trailer. It does pay homage to the heavy-handed obviousness of comics, especially from that particular era, but when compared to other superhero films containing hefty dramatic dialogue, feels corny by comparison.

– Technical disasters. These are littered everywhere throughout this film, but most obvious during the first act, which gets the film off to a rough note in trying to change the opinion of anyone who didn’t like the first film. We open with Cletus’ backstory, particularly when he was a teenager, and instead of the movie using de-aging technology, they use an actor who looks nothing like Woody Harrelson, and dubs him with Woody’s voice over his own mouth movements. This not only creates an unintentionally hilarious depiction, but also stands as the most bizarre of attempts in articulating the same character from two different ages, that I’ve ever seen. Problems aren’t just limited to audio, however, as scenes from later on in the film are obviously recylced during our introductory moments with a grown up Cletus, in an attempt at cobbling together as much cohesiveness for scenes that were either not shot all together, or shot poorly in playbacks. Finally, the musical score itself from the usually great Marco Beltrami feels cluttered with stock compositions and sauntering instrumentals that underscore the tension and character peril flatly, all the while banking in on repetition in variation that derives much of its inspiration on themes too safe to feel engaging or resonating in the context of its destruction.

My Grade: 5/10 or D