‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Review- Shut Up. Grab A Snack. Embrace The Chaos.
This film was released in 2021.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the next installment of the “Venom Verse” Marvel Entertainment films from Sony and Columbia Pictures. Andy Serkis takes the reins as director with Tom Hardy developing the story with screenwriter Kelly Marcel.
Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) gains notoriety after interviewing serial killer Cletus Kassidy (Woody Harrelson) where Venom spots a clue that leads to the discovery of his killing field, embarrassing San Francisco PD Detective Mulligan (Stephen Graham), who was on the case. There is tension between Eddie and Venom, especially upon learning former girlfriend Anne Weying (Michelle Williams) is getting married to her boyfriend Dan (Reid Scott).
Visiting Cletus ahead of his execution, the serial killer bites him and gets possessed by Carnage, another symbiote, who wants to kill Venom, who has separated from Eddie. First, Cletus breaks out his old girlfriend Frances “Shriek” Barrison (Naomie Harris). Carnage and Shriek go on a killing spree, forcing Venom into a conflict he may not be able to handle.
I know going into this review, knowing that this film is not for everyone. It is loaded with fan service, relies on action, dark humor, is a bit shorter than modern movies, and embraces the chaos of its predecessor. Honestly, that is what I loved about it. Sure, some folks hated it. Don’t care. This is the type of movie that is just fun to watch.
All of the characters are well developed, relying on dialogue, flashbacks, and even brief points of animation to help give them depth. It was fun to watch the banter between Venom and Eddie, as well as Carnage and Cletus. Both sets of characters have some excellent conversations that make you chuckle or scoff, but it was cool. On the subject of Shriek, it is amazing that her relationship with Carnage had better chemistry than the DCEU’s cringeworthy Joker and Harley Quinn. The symbiote and screamer were a better romance and had way more intrigue.
The action is also a lot of fun. At times, it mainly relied on humor and drama, but when the fight sequences, road raging, or chaos ensued, you were glued to it. I am so relieved that Andy Serkis chose to embrace the craziness that comes with a character like Venom. While I hope to see him battle Spider-Man in the future (no doubt), I found both the first movie and this one to be a blast.
Bottom line, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the perfect film to grab a snack, turn off your brain, and just have a fun time embracing the chaos.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Strong violence, Foul language
FAVORITE QUOTE: You have got to get control of your aggression, or you will be pulled down into Area 51! You live in my body, you live by my rules!
Check out the trailer below:
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is an anime, comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review.