Last Updated on October 25, 2024 by
Venom: The Last Dance is a 2024 Action Movie directed by Kelly Marcel, and written by Kelly Marcel, and Tom Hardy. The film stars Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, and Alanna Ubach., with a runtime of 1 Hour 49Min, and was released on October 25, 2024.
One thing that has always been present in the Venom movies is the style to a certain degree that the fans love or hate. Released in 2018, most people saw the first movie as bizarre, silly, and downright hilarious in its disruptive fashion. The first two movies, Venom and Venom: Movies like Venom (2018) and its sequel, Let There Be Carnage (2021), were full of such effects, and Hardy went all out in his performance. Hardy reprises the character of Eddie Brock, a man with an alien symbiotic organism, Venom living inside him, and Hardy goes all out in portraying this character with intensity and over-exaggeration. He has fun going as mad as possible, getting the best out of Eddie, and not being able to cope with the fact that an alien is burrowed inside him.
However, Venom: The Last Dance, the third movie in the series is somewhat different in its approach as it is a little more serious than the others. The end credits scene answers the question Writer and director Kelly Marcel considers this movie as the third in a trilogy even if it may not be the final Venom movie. This time around, the movie is more of emotions through attempts to interlace some form of emotion into the traditional comedy. However, it is not a perfect blend and while watching the movie one can sometimes get the impression that the director has overdone one aspect a bit.
What’s the Story?
In this movie, there is a man called Eddie who is played by Tom Hardy, and he is on the run. Eventually, after hosting a detective named Patrick who is played by Stephen Graham, dies; Eddie goes to Mexico where he spends most of his time with the alien symbiote. For instance, when Eddie learns that some people have put a hit on him, he heads to New York, seeking assistance. But he and Venom couldn’t get very far, as they only end up in Nevada. At the same time, in Nevada, there is a top-secret government base called Area 55, where Dr. Payne (Juno Temple) examines symbiotes – other extraterrestrial creatures like Venom. Strickland is portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor and this facility is inhabited with alien life forms.
Simultaneously, on the other part of the galaxy, there is an entity known as Knull (voiced by Andy Serkis) who is imprisoned. Knull is a person who has summoned an army of creatures known as xenophobes, and they are tasked with finding a special key known as the codex, through which he can be released from his confinement. Luckily, in a twist of fate, the codex is located inside Eddie along with Venom so that means that they are now exposed not only to S.U.P.E.R.I.O.R.’s continued onslaught but also to extraterrestrial dangers as well.
Is Knull the Villain?
Even though Knull can be easily associated with the image of the main antagonist of the movie, he is not the main villain of The Last Dance. However, Knull is closer to some sort of supporting character who will play a role in future Venom films. In this movie, he is in prison, confined and eager to escape, using his xenophobes to locate the codex. These extraterrestrial beings come to Earth, but there appears to be no primary antagonist in this film. It is seen that Eddie and Venom must focus on merely existing and avoiding conflict, fixing the problems arising from the events of the previous film.
Director Kelly Marcel focuses more on the science behind the comic book world. She spends time exploring Area 55, where Dr. Payne is trying to understand symbiotes and alien life. One of her experiments involves Detective Patrick, who was saved by a symbiote and is now transformed into a strange new life form. This makes Strickland, who runs the facility, nervous about what could happen next.
Action and Comedy
As characteristic of the other Venom movies, The Last Dance is packed with action sequences, but in this case, it is not as exhilarating as one would expect. One early scene shows Eddie and Venom, in Mexico, attacking a gang that is engaged in running unlawful dog fights. While this is quite a stylish throwback to how strong Venom is, it does not feel very significant to the plot. It is perhaps closer to a method to flaunt Venom’s comedic aspect and talent to eat human heads.
Eddie and Venom’s attempt to get to New York City is not easy as there are a lot of hurdles that come their way such as the xenophages. They even give some power to a horse they encounter so that it can assist them in traveling at a faster rate. The comedy needed to be as effective as in the previous movies but unfortunately, it does not quite deliver it. Not to mention Tom Hardy who usually appears to have fun with the role of Eddie and looks a bit bored in this film. He only really comes alive during the dramatic scenes and one of them is when Eddie, the main character, comes across a hippie family on a road trip in their old van to go to Area 51 to find out if extraterrestrial life exists. Eddie also has time to hang with a few kids, dreaming of what could be his normal life without Venom’s presence seizing control of his body.
Less Fun, More Setup
A key strength of the earlier Venom films was the buddy-cop dynamic they had with the characters Eddie and Venom. There was love and quarrels in their relationship; nevertheless, they were always attached, which created interesting scenes. In The Last Dance, this dynamic doesn’t go as far. Marcel seems more concerned with what is going on at Area 55, and he alluded to more movies where the symbiotes will appear. Instead, it becomes a massive visual effects extravaganza, yet lacking the liveliness and humorous elements of the first and the second film. Of course, some ideas are not very creative, for example, the meeting with the character named Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu) in Las Vegas.
Overall, Venom: Overall, The Last Dance feels a little more sluggish and less energetic than the other movies. Looking at their motivations for producing such a film, one can get the impression it was done mostly due to a contract and nothing more. The previous films were silly but entertaining, and this one seems to lack the crazed passion that was present in Venom. All in all, for a movie that was advertised as being Tom Hardy’s swansong to playing Eddie, it lacks the punch and impact it should bring. As for the comedy, a concept that otherwise would arguably be most effective if chosen among the three, again one has to disappoint them since it isn’t really funny at all.
Venom: The Last Dance 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Venom: The Last Dance is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) For intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images, and strong language.
Violence and Action: Action is frequent since it is a superhero and comic book film, though it might be slightly more violent because of Venom.
Striker, as an unpleasant alien who possesses a sick wit, enjoys fighting very often and quite energetically. For example, one of the first scenes depicts Venom and Eddie interacting with a gang that specializes in dog fighting. As much as it puts emphasis on Venom’s strength, it portrays a violent theme that teenagers and children may not be comfortable with.
The protagonist of the movie is Venom, and he uses physical contact in fights, and there are scenes showing the antagonist tearing off people’s heads or some other organs. This is rarely depicted in a direct graphic manner, although sometimes it is suggested and may cause distress to some consumers.
Xenophages, Knull’s alien army, launch a strike on Earth and other places, resulting in various action-packed sequences. These creatures are huge and when they are depicted as such, they may cause some fear.
There are a few fight scenes involving hand-to-hand combat as well as a few weapons being utilized, and there are some action sequences with Venom involving explosions, car chases, and scenes of destruction to property.
Language: Depifying is occasionally strong language, but overall the movie does not go beyond the PG-13 rating. There is occasional usage of “damn,” “hell,” and mild curses but it is not extreme.
It is important to note that some scenes may portray the character’s temperance or angry moments, especially when Eddie deals with Venom or fights enemies. Sometimes, the tone of these arguments contributes to making the movie even more heated.
Alcohol and Substance Use: There can be occasional references to the use of alcohol/ alcohol consumption or situations where its presence is noticeable like bars/causal parties etc. However, substance use is not a topic well highlighted in this film. There is no use of prohibited substances or unlawful activities as portrayed.
Sexual Content: Venom: The Last Dance is relatively tame in the realm of sexuality and does not contain any sexually explicit scenes. However, here are some details on related content: The idea of Eddie and Venom as lovers is not a major theme of the movie; however, the film does present their interaction mostly in terms of symbiotic dependence. Eddie experiences a few moments when he wants to live a ‘regular’ life, which underlines his longing for having a normal job and interactions apart from his symbiotic partnership with Venom. As for the mature content, there may be one or two rude or crude jokes like what Venom is known for, but they are brief and included in the PG-13 rating.
