"Venom" is the best superhero movie I've seen in a long time, partly because it turns the superhero formula on its head. While good, I find The Dark Knight movies usually too intense and serious, while most Marvel movies are too tongue-in-cheek for my liking. It's interesting then that this film, about a character who looks like a demon from Hell, manages to strike that perfect balance between being dark, intense, and light humour. I walked out of the cinema smiling: I haven't had this good a time at the movies in a while.
Part of that is because Venom, as a character, is so much fun: he is a real monster. He eats the brains of his foes and his voice could make the Predator wet himself. But it's not all dark and intense: Venom is *likeable.* He doesn't make quips; he's earnest. If Venom isn't telling the hero to eat the brains of villains he is egging the hero on to get back with his ex-girlfriend. That is *genius,* and this interest that Venom has in people leads to some fantastic moments in the movie. There's a scene where Venom convinces the hero to apologize to the ex, and the hero does so, ending resentment between the two. When this happens Venom says, completely unironically, "Aw. That's nice."
I love Venom, the character, and watching him interact with the people around him is just as entertaining as the insane fight scenes where he is decimating whole teams of armoured, armed men (which are beautifully spectacular, by the way). Venom is charismatic and fascinating; I'd love to see more of him interacting with Eddie Brock (the film's protagonist character) and seeing the conversations they'd have. I have to commend the filmmakers on Venom's design: he is huge and brutal and he animates beautifully, from the saliva dripping from his lizard tongue to his creepy, bulbous eyes. Venom should always have that insane, rictus grin on his face; I never like seeing Venom in the comics without it. Having Venom wearing the grin throughout the movie was definitely the right way to go. Even the way Venom prowls and hurls himself through the city bleeds with character: Venom is originally a dark mirror to Spiderman, but while Spiderman swings gracefully, Venom proves he has his own brutal style just by the way he gets around.
Tom Hardy is a great actor and his talent delivers the human element of the movie. He's played Bane in Batman and Max in Mad Max; here demonstrates further range by playing humorous scenes and the fish out of water character of Eddie Brock, who is utterly bewildered by becoming the host to Venom. Michelle Williams is great as Brock's ex; she is spunky and tough and Hardy and Williams work well together. But Venom steals the show. The chemistry between Venom and Brock is more interesting than the chemistry between Brock and the love interest.
The opening of the film is somewhat slow, but they have a lot to set up. The post-credits scene features Brock meeting Cletus Cassidy, and Woody Harrelson is the most perfect choice to play the role, but the wig they gave Harrelson was ridiculous. But apart from that, I loved "Venom," and I can't wait to see more. Hopefully it won't be too long before we get a sequel.
Part of that is because Venom, as a character, is so much fun: he is a real monster. He eats the brains of his foes and his voice could make the Predator wet himself. But it's not all dark and intense: Venom is *likeable.* He doesn't make quips; he's earnest. If Venom isn't telling the hero to eat the brains of villains he is egging the hero on to get back with his ex-girlfriend. That is *genius,* and this interest that Venom has in people leads to some fantastic moments in the movie. There's a scene where Venom convinces the hero to apologize to the ex, and the hero does so, ending resentment between the two. When this happens Venom says, completely unironically, "Aw. That's nice."
I love Venom, the character, and watching him interact with the people around him is just as entertaining as the insane fight scenes where he is decimating whole teams of armoured, armed men (which are beautifully spectacular, by the way). Venom is charismatic and fascinating; I'd love to see more of him interacting with Eddie Brock (the film's protagonist character) and seeing the conversations they'd have. I have to commend the filmmakers on Venom's design: he is huge and brutal and he animates beautifully, from the saliva dripping from his lizard tongue to his creepy, bulbous eyes. Venom should always have that insane, rictus grin on his face; I never like seeing Venom in the comics without it. Having Venom wearing the grin throughout the movie was definitely the right way to go. Even the way Venom prowls and hurls himself through the city bleeds with character: Venom is originally a dark mirror to Spiderman, but while Spiderman swings gracefully, Venom proves he has his own brutal style just by the way he gets around.
Tom Hardy is a great actor and his talent delivers the human element of the movie. He's played Bane in Batman and Max in Mad Max; here demonstrates further range by playing humorous scenes and the fish out of water character of Eddie Brock, who is utterly bewildered by becoming the host to Venom. Michelle Williams is great as Brock's ex; she is spunky and tough and Hardy and Williams work well together. But Venom steals the show. The chemistry between Venom and Brock is more interesting than the chemistry between Brock and the love interest.
The opening of the film is somewhat slow, but they have a lot to set up. The post-credits scene features Brock meeting Cletus Cassidy, and Woody Harrelson is the most perfect choice to play the role, but the wig they gave Harrelson was ridiculous. But apart from that, I loved "Venom," and I can't wait to see more. Hopefully it won't be too long before we get a sequel.