There are two types of comic book hero based movie fans. Those that are die hard comic book fans and those that come to the movies with no history or concept of what they are seeing save for film. The comic fan will complain about the most minute details of the film from the look of things to how the character is portrayed. The casual film goer will watch the movie based on how entertained they were. This battle between viewers has always been at the center of controversy when it’s come to the Sony version of Spider-man and his enemy Venom.
The comic versions have been more formed from comic tropes while the film versions have tried to bring them into technological means when it comes to Spider-man’s foes. Venom was seen in SPIDER-MAN 3 and no one liked him. With the advances in CGI and being a fan favorite in comics it finally happened that Venom got his own film. That one was successful enough that the sequel followed, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE and that makes its way to disc this week.
The film opens in the past with Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) has his girlfriend Frances Barrison taken away (Naomie Harris) from St. Estes Home for Unwanted Children where they live to the Ravenscroft Institute. She’s been taken there because she’s displayed super powers involved her voice. At first escaping from her captors she is caught and taken there though Officer Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham) thinks she was killed.
Fast forward to now. Tom Hardy returns as world weary reporter Eddie Brock. Brock has accepted the symbiote, a creature from another world sent here to conquer Earth in the first film but instead helping save it. The creature is still prone to some of the funniest lines in the movie wanting to eat everyone in sight but subdued by chocolate.
Mulligan contacts Brock because serial killer Kasady says he will only talk to Brock before he is executed. The two meet and Kasady taunts Brock until Brock rushes his cell where Kasady bites Brock, ingesting a small portion of the symbiote via Brock’s blood. With this small amount of symbiote in his blood Kasady realizes what is going on in Brock.
An argument between the symbiote and Brock results in them separating and Venom (the symbiote) going off on his own in search of brains to eat. Hopping from body to body he inserts himself into the San Francisco night life and begins to take on celebrity status as everyone thinks he’s in a costume.
Meanwhile as his execution is about to begin Kasady transforms into a red symbiote and calls himself Carnage. His intent is to wreak havoc on the world and watch it all burn. But first he must save Frances when he learns she’s still alive. Once rescued the two set out to treat the world the way they were treated, first burning down the children’s home they were in long ago.
Mulligan warns Brock of Kasady’s escape but later takes him into custody. Brock contacts his ex-girlfriend Anne Weying (Michelle Williams) to represent him and when she gets there informs him that he and the symbiote have separated. Now the only way to stop Kasady is to find the symbiote and reunite with him to take on the terrible twosome.
This movie and its predecessor could not have been made years ago. The technology just wasn’t there. The gooey shape shifting characters of Venom and Carnage would not have been possible. That has improved but at the same time the blob like shapes they take on sometimes are a bit too amorphous to know what you’re seeing. Still it makes for some amazing fight sequences between the characters.
There isn’t a bad performance in the film. Hardy is perfect dealing with his moral compass when it comes to Venom as well as his fondness for the alien. Harrelson is perfect as Kasady with a perfect maniacal twist involved. The supporting cast is wonderful as well.
The thing about the film version of Venom is that it’s been transposed from serious to comedic. Venom comes up with some truly hilarious moments and lines. The comics were not like this and thus the problem between comic and film fans. Taken as it is, without reference to the comics, the movie is enjoyable and fun. And yes there is a post credits scene as well. If you go in watching it that way you’ll enjoy this one as much as the first. I know I did.
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