REVIEW | Venom (2018)

— man and symbiote combined.  This is a new face, a new series, and a long time coming.

Venom is leaps and bounds ahead of your friendly neighbourhood films from the 2000s.

Trailing a controversial story involving missing people, an unsavoury billionaire, and illegal experimentation. Field journalist, Eddie Brock, bites off more than he can chew after being infected with a parasitic slime that grants him powerful and amazing abilities. But he soon discovers that his organic hitchhiker is now living off his body, sharing his identity, and steering his motives — as the symbiote known as, VENOM!

---

*Minor spoilers for Venom ahead*

Let’s be honest, the only talking point worth discussing about this movie is the title character himself. I’m talking about a character that makes being bad, look oh so awesome. I’m talking about the lethal protector that makes Peter Parker’s Spider-man look like a wimp. I’m talking about the ferociously-fun, fang-filled, fan-favourite symbiote — Venom!

This film is a refreshing scene for comic book movies. With a schizophrenic new take on the conventional balance between heroes/villains, and their alter-egos. Venom basically takes the struggle of heroism, and brings it to an amusement park — where the joy of having great power, comes from great irresponsibility.

But don’t get me wrong — his initial debut in Spider-man 3 (2007) was more than perfect for its time. It’s just that the character is more true to form in his 2018 cinema resurgence. You really can’t help but cheer deep down inside like a giddy schoolboy every time Venom materialises on screen, while all the hair on your body rises like it has a mind of its own.

And even if you don’t know who Venom is in his native form, that just means you won’t have to worry too much about the detached character details of this film on how he’s supposed to have a tie-in with Marvel’s famous web-slinger.

I mean, since this film is an independent take of the source material.

Which is certainly something to celebrate when it comes to making a comic book character that’s written from the 80s relevant. Especially considering the extent of ridiculousness those stories tend to have in that era and medium.

---

Just like how the plot of every Transformers film franchise is a deliberate excuse for making giant metallic robots fight with hundreds of explosions going off around them. This movie simply serves as a grand stage for the dynamic-duo to play in — using a straight and simple plot as a backdrop that balances darker themes, lighthearted humour, and superhero-grade action.

It’s also worth noting that if you enjoy watching Tom ‘tough-guy’ Hardy work — then that’s more than enough reason to catch Venom.

From the memorable monologues that terrorised Gotham City in The Dark Knight Rises (2012); to his lonesome, conversation-driven car ride in Locke (2013); and even his dangerous-doubles performance in Legend (2015) as the Cray twins. Tom Hardy has got both sides of the same coin polished when it comes to his performance in Venom.

---

Whether it’s appearing in video games, or carrying his own superhero series and story arc on page, Venom is the anti-hero that will always have a place in the hearts of comic book followers and fans (even if he usually has an appetite for all other organs).

With this film being a well-deserved extension of that character into cinema.

And if none of that interests you in the slightest —

then there’s always the amazing adolescent adventures of a spandex-wearing, high-school do-gooder that photographs for newspapers you could go back to.