Disclaimer: The views expressed here are mine alone and do not represent those of allgames.com.
Introduction to the Venom Movie Review by Ms. H
Well, the long wait for the Venom movie is finally over. The Venom Marvel movie that seemed to be promoted for awhile now is out in the movie theaters. Marvel movies have the reputation of being categorized as “good movies” that are worth seeing. Did Venom live up to the stellar reputation of Marvel movies? Check out my movie review to find out.
Synopsis of the Venom Movie
Similar to most superhero movies, Marvel takes us on a journey to discover how Venom came to be in the first place. The main character is played by actor Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock -- who was at one time at the top of his profession as a reporter and in another instant is looking for work -- all because he went against the instructions of his boss and questioned a scientist about some of his unscrupulous practices.
Slow Start of the Venom Movie
Venom has a relatively slow start giving the audience a chance to get to know the main characters of the movie. You will discover the ups and downs of the character Eddie Brock as played by Tom Hardy as well as his connection to his romantic interest Ann Weying played by the actress Michelle Williams. Along the way, you will meet other characters as well, including her doctor friend and the sinister scientist mentioned previously and his “not so loyal” assistant.
As you watch the movie, you probably will wonder when and if Venom will ever appear. However, even though it takes some time -- Venom finally makes his entrance in the movie. HIs make up is slimy -- almost liquid material which takes up residence in his human host. Apparently, you can become a Venom specimen by coming in contact with a human host who is already carrying the parasite.
Build up to Venom’s Appearance
Almost as a gift to you for patiently learning about the characters in the movie, Venom finally makes his entrance -- almost like a whirlwind. First he is in the body of Eddie Brock and is constantly belittling him, many times calling him derogatory names. Spoiler Alert: However, as with most Marvel movies, all is well in the end as they learn to coexist with each other. Secondly, Venom seems to be everywhere as more people become hosts.
Pros of the Venom Movie
As mentioned earlier, I think the Venom movie did a good job of letting you get to know the characters. As a result, it is more than just an action movie -- but one where you may probably have some concern for the characters.
Another pro of the Venom movie is you get a glimpse of Stan Lee in a cameo which to me is always a highlight of the Marvel movies.
Additionally, there was a lot of Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) in the Venom movie, which I think was creatively done.
Cons of Venom Movie
To me, it was taxing waiting for Venom to make his appearance - even though it was a plus that you got to know the main characters of the movie. I think Venom could have appeared earlier in the movie since I’m sure the movie audience was anxious or curious to see him.
I would like to ask a question -- just how many Venoms are there? I’m not familiar with the Venom comic book, so I was a little surprised to find out that the venom transformations are similar to zombies in that you get infected by touching them. As the movie progresses, the scenes became chaotic with venoms fighting against other venoms, the appearance of a female venom, the scientist changing to venom, etc.
Another con of the movie was in casting. For example, the actor who played the scientist in my opinion was miscast. His mannerisms did not match the sinister and dare I say, evil character he was portraying. I think the movie would have improved if the villain was cast or played by someone other than him.
I also believe the relationship between Tom Hardy as the ex and the doctor who is now a friend of his ex-girlfriend -- was not realistically portrayed. The doctor character seemed to have been thrown in the movie because they needed someone to determine the makeup of Tom Hardy as Venom. This character could have easily been any doctor including one who was not romantically involved with Tom Hardy character’s ex.
Additionally, I was not a fan of the profanity sprinkled throughout this movie which really served no purpose other than to announce that Marvel now allows these words to be said in comic book movies -- other than Deadpool.
Assessment of the Venom Movie
I did not come away from the movie Venom with a “feel good” vibe, like I sometimes experience after watching Marvel movies, for example the Avengers series and others. I think the reason for that was because of the nefarious words Venom used to describe his host - which did not resonate well with me and set a negative tone for the movie. However, on the plus side, I like how they used CGI to showcase how Venom can transform as weapons to defend himself. For instance, in one of the fight scenes, Venom’s arms changed to wide blades and in another scene they changed to a huge shield for protection. Due to the creative CGI used in Venom and the cameo appearance of Stan Lee, I’m going to rate this movie one star higher than I was going to originally.
Rating of the Venom Movie
Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the Venom movie 3 stars.