Venom: The Last Dance

My relationship with the Venom franchise has been rocky. I have a soft spot for the first one, absolutely loathe the second, and now we come to the trilogy's closer, and thankfully, it's an improvement.

Venom: The Last Dance works best when it focuses on Eddie and Venom's story instead of trying to set up the future of the Sonyverse. If you didn't like the previous Venom films, this won't change your mind. It's still messy, but it gets more right than its predecessors.

This is easily the campiest and most mature of the bunch. It takes its time with the characters, letting us sit with them instead of rushing into the next action set piece. Still being PG-13 it manages to cram in a lot more gore than its predecessors. The action is inventive, and the humor hits its mark. It also doesn't shy away from getting personal and emotional. Eddie and Venom's relationship has never felt more genuine. I'll admit-I teared up a few times by the end.

Some may be disappointed by the potrayal of Knull, but personally, I loved it. He feels like an overlooming threat rather than an one-off villain, and the "God of Darkness" gets a Thanos-esque treatment he deserves.

Now, don't get me wrong-the movie is still bad, technically speaking-but it's self-aware about that. Instead of being "bad bad," it chooses to be "fun bad" and entertain you, and I respect that. Not every movie needs to be great; sometimes being fun is enough.

Even with the lows, I have always found a weird sense of comfort with this rendition of Venom. I have found myself caring more for these characters than maybe even the script intended. So I am happy to say that by the end, it does enough to justify this trilogy's existence - and to such an satisfying extent that I'd rather live in a world where the Venom movies exist than one where it doesn't.

The third installment about the symbiotic anti-hero is a mix of bright moments and disappointments. Tom Hardy once again proves why he is the perfect choice for the role of Eddie Brock/Venom, but even his charismatic performance cannot save the unbalanced ensemble. The film starts off promisingly - with dynamic action and witty dialogue between Eddie and his symbiotic companion. Their relationship is still the best the series has to offer. Hardy brilliantly manages both comedic timing and dramatic moments. The visual effects are impressive in places, especially in the action sequences where Venom shows off his abilities. At other times, however, the CGI feels inadequate and more reminiscent of a video game from the last decade. Some fights are well choreographed, others are a chaotic mix of digital effects. The biggest problem is the script, which tries to be too ambitious. It mixes several storylines, introduces new characters and antagonists, but does not give them enough space to develop. The result is a rushed pace and superficial characters. The film's darker tone is a welcome change, but it often clashes with the comedic elements, creating an unbalanced whole. The film seems unsure whether it wants to be a serious drama or a lighthearted entertainment. Venom: The Last Dance is like a roller coaster - it's ups and downs. For fans of the series, it offers enough fun, but it's hard to call it a significant step forward. This film is like an average song on a great album, but as a whole it doesn't leave a strong impression. Fans will find their own, others may be disappointed.

I just don't get it, I thought the 1st Venom was good despite many fans may not have liked it. I'm not a comic fan, so for me it was good that they try to make it as relatable and realistic to just your average movie goer.

The 2nd film was cringy and terrible in my opinion because the story didn't make much sense, too much drama, poetry, and bromance. I lost interest after watching that one but the trailer for this film looked good.

Right from the beginning I realize this was going to be bad. I don't care about the multi-verse, I don't care about Knull, I don't care about all these comic lores. The story is completely unrelatable and the suspension of disbelief failed early on.

And then to top it off, the ending was just awful.

4/10 for the special effects. Everything else is a 0.

"Venom: The Last Dance' is a messy buddy road trip in which you must turn your brains off...again.

Is it perfect? Nah, far from it. I think there are way too many storylines in here, and the main one got some potential, but it was wasted in typical Sony fashion. The "Spider-Man 4" rumors have been blown out of proportion in my opinion, so temper your expectations.

The duo between Eddie and Venom is as fun as always. I mean Tom Hardy and the banter between them...I'm sorry, the banter between Hardy and himself is the best part of these movies (Hardy is doing the voice of Venom).

The humor is there, but can't say I laughed all that much, beacause most of the jokes are base level childish again. It must be a bit more emotional as a whole, because supposedly is the last time we see Venom (hardly doubt), but it ends up kinda hollow.

Knull is there...I guess, but will see how and when they'll use him again...it's Sony after all.

It's a popcorn movie that reminds me of the early 2000's comic book movies. The action in the third act is good for the most parts and there are some funny moments here and there. Are there plot holes and some issues with the story? Yes. It's just another "Turn your brains off" Sony movie again.

There are two credit scenes, first one is kinda important, the second one not so much.

A solid enough send off for this 'Venom' trilogy.

'Venom: The Last Dance' is decently amusing and produces enough entertainment with its plot. I didn't personally find it overly funny, though the person a few seats across from me had an absolute blast - never a bad thing seeing people enjoy themselves!

Tom Hardy remains the key element of these films, they would be far less enjoyable without his presence. There's a nice montage of sorts towards the end, it admittedly didn't 'hit' all that much for me but I imagine it's effective for proper fans of the series. Rhys Ifans and Chiwetel Ejiofor stick out most from the other characters.