‘Venom: The Last Dance’ – A fitting farewell

Many entertainment duos are destined to go down in history, such as Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and Ity and Fancy Cat. Their names will resonate for years to come. However, for the modern era, we have the antics of Tom Hardy and his gravelly-voiced alter ego, which are what we’re left with. However history treats the pair, the fact remains that Venom and Eddie are the best part of Venom: The Last Dance, a film so muddled and messy, it screams of a rushed production with what feels like eight different script ideas mashed together into one.

You have the follow-up story from Venom: Let There Be Carnage, pinning the death of a police officer on an innocent Eddie Brock, who must now go on the run to evade the authorities. It’s a convenient inconvenience, as his symbiote counterpart, Venom, is also being pursued by an alien attack dog sent by Venom’s creator, Knull. This devil, trapped in another dimension, appears every 20 minutes to snarl at the camera from the discomfort of his throne.

Then there’s the military, studying a selection of symbiotes that only exist to ratchet up the action for the film’s climax. Somewhere in the middle of all this Venom and Eddie find the time to break up an illegal dog-fighting ring, take a ride on a venomised horse, and have a dance party in a Las Vegas penthouse suite.

It’s bonkers, it’s bananas and at some points, it manages to be beautiful. Venom: The Last Dance takes bold risks, often coming up short, but when it finds its rhythm, it offers a meaningful farewell to Hardy’s unhinged performances throughout the series. The bond between the characters is stronger than it’s ever been, and the effects have never been so clear.

For all its faults, Venom: The Last Dance is true to itself, delivering a film that’s intent on giving audience a fun experience, even if the journey is confusing and senseless. It’s as if it were directed by Venom himself.

Rating: Half Price

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com