“Venom: Let There be Carnage” gives a whole new meaning to having a voice inside your head. In this sequel to “Venom,” the one of a kind relationship between Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his alien host, Venom, is revisited in a hilarious action-packed movie.
The movie has its foot on the gas the entire time, and given the slower pace of most other Marvel movies, the quick pace is refreshing. In the simple set up that gets to the action quickly, Eddie, a journalist, gains the privilege of interviewing Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), a mass murderer. Harrelson does a tremendous job of bringing this captivating and psychotic character to life. After Kasady takes a huge chomp of Eddie’s hand, Carnage is created in Kasady’s body. The same species as Venom, Carnage holds more power, but even so, the creation does seem a bit implausible. Eddie now has multiple challenges to deal with throughout the film: the inner turmoil he’s experiencing with Venom and the imposing threat Kasady and Carnage pose.
Eddie and Venom’s relationship keeps this movie entertaining. Eddie’s shortcomings, combined with Venom’s cluelessness as to human nature, creates some entertaining banter between the two. Marvel has noticeably improved the comedy in their films recently, and this movie serves as evidence. The laughs mainly come from Venom, as it’s quite funny seeing this horrifying alien try to adapt to human life and cope with his emotions.The constant clashes between Eddie and Venom make you wonder if they can pull it together and work as a team to defeat Cletus Kasady and Carnage.
As for the plot, it’s not boring as much as it’s overly generic. You’ve seen many Marvel movies like this before, and it’s not hard to predict what’ll happen. What redeems the film is that every scene feels important to the story, which contributes to the quick pace. The movie does itself a favor by not taking itself too seriously, as it shouldn’t, given how unrealistic the premise is.
“Venom: Let There be Carnage” doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but that’s all right, as it does its job in creating an exciting movie. All of the characters have unique qualities that capture the audience. Be ready to leave the theater hyped, as the signature end credit scene creates a multitude of possibilities for future Marvel movies.
