Directed by Andy Serkis
Starring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, and Woody Harrelson
Backstory
Sony continues to try to make the “Spider-Man supporting characters universe” a thing, and what better place to start than with Venom, the evil Spider-Man-turned-anti-hero? The first film, Venom, surprised a lot of people by developing an almost goofy buddy-cop dynamic between Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiot. So, it looked like the sequel would continue in that direction. Throw in Venom’s arch-enemy Carnage as the villain, and it looked to be a pretty good film. Does Let There Be Carnage stack up to the original?
Plot
Eddie Brock seems to be getting his life back in order. A series of interviews with convicted serial killer Cletus Kassidy has put his career back on track. But, Brock is at odds with his new partner, the alien symbiot known as Venom. Venom wants to be out on the streets, eating the heads of evil-doers, but Brock is trying to keep Venom’s murderous rage in check. Things reach a head when the Venom symbiot rejects Brock one night and heads out to make his own path in the world. But, things have taken a turn. In his final interview with Kassidy, Venom left his spawn behind. The spawn bonds with Kassidy to become Carnage, and they head out into the night to go on a murderous rampage. Will Brock and Venom reconcile to save the city from Carnage?
What I Liked
Tom Hardy once again gives us another wonderfully twisted relationship between Brock and Venom. They are just as goofy as they were in first movie. The action has gotten a little better as it’s easier to make out the two CGI blobs fighting each other. And the film is short, which keeps things moving nice and quick. Which sadly leads to….
What I Didn’t Like
Because of the film’s short length, it feels like we really don’t get enough Carnage. It would have been nice to have explored the Venom/Carnage relationship a little bit more, and maybe get more Venom/Carnage battles. And Venom and Brock spend far too much time separated.
Final Verdict
It could have really used a little more development for our supporting players. It was fun, but a little too brief.