Does "Venom: The Last Dance" stick the landing? Critics are already giving their opinions on this trilogy-ending superhero waltz, and they're all pretty well in agreement.
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00:00Does Venom the Last Dance stick the landing?
00:03Critics are already giving their opinions on this trilogy-ending superhero waltz, and
00:07they're all pretty well in agreement.
00:09The Venom trilogy has been a bit of an outlier among superhero cinema in the era dominated
00:14by the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
00:16While everyone else is trying to be as epic as possible, star Tom Hardy and directors
00:20Ruben Feicher, Andy Serkis, and Kelly Marcel, who helmed the third entry in the franchise,
00:25have really embraced a sense of not taking things too seriously.
00:29And so far, at least, that unique approach has led to big success for Sony.
00:33We learned on Venom 1 that this movie has a really specific and kind of odd tone."
00:39Early reviews of The Last Dance indicate that the series' often silly tone remains, though
00:44a little pathos has been added, too.
00:46And many critics think that's what makes it the best of the three films.
00:49Ian Sandwell of Digital Spy wrote on X, formerly Twitter,
00:52"...Venom The Last Dance is the most entertaining of the trilogy.
00:56It's largely a funny and sweet road trip with Eddie and Venom living their Thelma and
01:00Louise fugitive dreams, including car karaoke and dog rescuing.
01:05You might even find yourself getting emotional."
01:07Screen rant Joseph Dechelmeyer called the movie a bit of a throwback, writing,
01:11"...it's a fun popcorn movie that reminds me of the early 2000s comic book movies.
01:15The action is great and is a tribute to action films from the 80s.
01:19There's a ton of funny moments.
01:21Are there plot holes and some issues with the story?
01:23Yes.
01:24Is it fun?
01:25Drew Taylor of The Wrap had a similar take, posting,
01:28"...Venom The Last Dance is the best of the Venom movies.
01:31The insanity has been ramped up significantly, but so has the heart.
01:35It's not perfect, but it's super entertaining.
01:38And there's a giant monster that chews people up and sprays blood out of the back of its
01:41head.
01:42Pretty nuts."
01:43A key pattern among early reviews is critics noting that Venom The Last Dance is a fun
01:47action romp, has a surprising amount of emotion, and you probably shouldn't think too hard
01:52about it, either.
01:54"...Why do you keep knocking people out?
01:56What is wrong with you?"
01:57"...I'm sorry!"
01:59Freelance critic Simon Thompson, who's said the set pieces range from kooky to crazy,
02:03advised,
02:04"...take it for what it is.
02:05Grab some popcorn and go with the flow of this raging road movie."
02:09Josh Wilding, another freelance critic, likewise said the movie is far from perfect, but added
02:14that the stakes are so much higher and that it's the most cinematic, monumental Venom
02:19to date.
02:20ComicBook.com's Chris Killian probably put it the most bluntly, writing,
02:23"...simply put, Venom 3 is classic guilty pleasure cinema.
02:27Turn your brains off and let Venom snack on em."
02:30Not every critic who has seen Venom The Last Dance enjoyed it, though.
02:33But surprisingly, lots of those who didn't care for it also say it's the best entry in
02:37the trilogy.
02:38For instance, The Hollywood Handle wrote,
02:40"...Venom The Last Dance might not be a great film overall, but it still manages to be the
02:45best of this trilogy that wasn't really able to accomplish a lot."
02:48The outlet added that the film was a satisfying ending to a trilogy they didn't really live
02:53up to its potential, noting that the relationship between Eddie Brock and Venom was the highlight.
02:58CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell was perhaps the harshest of the bunch, seemingly admiring
03:02the franchise's go-for-broke attitude while also bemoaning what he also saw as missed
03:07opportunities.
03:08He wrote,
03:09"...I think Venom The Last Dance is the best of the three, while still being incredibly
03:13bad.
03:14It's bizarre and watchable because it's willing to try anything.
03:17Symbiote fish?
03:18Sure.
03:19Mrs. Chen dance sequence?
03:20Why not?
03:21I laughed a few times, but this trilogy accomplished very little."
03:25Decide for yourself if best of the trilogy means good or bad, or if that's true at all,
03:30when Venom The Last Dance hits theaters on October 25th, 2024.