Surprisingly, this follow-up to 2018’s “Venom” is more than that. It’s also a romance film – but not between Tom Hardy’s character Eddie Brock and his ex-girlfriend (Michelle Williams), or even Woody Harrelson’s maniacal Carnage and Naomie Harris’ Shriek, as you might expect.
Instead, the lovebirds are Brock and Venom, the symbiote living inside his body.
For every scene involving monsters punching each other’s lights out, there is another depicting the challenges of two entities occupying the same body. It’s actually pretty comedic, seeing Venom behave like a protective wingman at times and a jealous boyfriend at others.
Anyone who has ever been in a serious relationship would be able to relate, as Brock and his passenger constantly bicker about who’s wearing the pants in the relationship. Perhaps they should have called this movie “Love, Venom”.
Despite the fierce arguments and even a “breakup” that happens halfway into the film, Brock and Venom actually do care about each other and complement each other perfectly.
Throughout, Venom acts as Brock’s conscience and inner thoughts with a voice akin to an insane Cookie Monster, which Hardy clearly enjoyed performing in the recording booth.
When he’s not complaining about being hungry, Venom’s either chiding Brock for his mistakes or cheering him on after a mishap. One can’t help but wonder what it would be like to have him living inside one’s head.
In truth, the symbiote is a silly character, in a film where silliness is a strength. The movie doesn’t shy away from being a little goofy, such as the scene where Venom goes to a Halloween rave alone and has a good time, while everyone mistakes his hulking mass as an elaborate costume.
The thought of a giant alien monster with fangs partying with glow sticks is ridiculous, yet somehow it works.
“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is a self-contained story, without the world-ending danger present in too many superhero films these days.
The plot unfolds when journalist Brock is granted an audience with convicted murderer Cletus Kasady. After a scuffle ensues between the two, some symbiote material is transferred to Kasady, leading to the birth of another symbiotic creature, Carnage.
See, this is why social distancing is important, y’all.
Not bloody enough
Carnage is a murderous menace, sure, but the film actually touches more on Brock’s struggle with his metaphorical and literal demons within himself.
And like the previous film, viewers can expect elaborate CGI fights between Venom and Carnage, while better cinematography this time around allows audiences to at least see what the heck is going on.
It’s a shame Sony decided to take this film down the PG-13 route instead of taking notes from Warner Brothers’ bloody, gory and financially successful “The Suicide Squad”.
Given the symbiote aliens have huge fangs, sharp appendages, and a tendency to bite heads off, a little gore would have gone a long way. But here, even when a few heads do get torn off, there is hardly a speck of scarlet to be found. Sigh.
Another downside is that no time is given to show how Kassidy reacts to having an all-powerful alien symbiote living within him, which would have been an interesting mirror to Brock’s reaction to the discovery in the first film.
And while his reunion with his childhood sweetheart, the mutant Shriek, is a main part of the plot, it is never as interesting as Brock’s relationship with Venom. The movie goes all out to convey how a dangerous and hungry alien can have a softer and sweeter side when it comes to his not-boyfriend Brock.
All in all, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is a mindlessly entertaining film that’s a worthy follow-up to its predecessor.
Come for the mind-numbing sequences of violence and explosions – and hang around once the credits roll, as the mid-credits scene is not to be missed – but stay for the cute and cuddly moments between Brock and Venom.
‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ is playing in cinemas nationwide.