Symbiotic Insanity
Introduction
Who would have thought that Venom, the black sheep of Marvel’s cinematic empire, would have gotten a sequel in this symbiote-eat-dog world but here we are now.
To those who may not be initiated in the political drama that surrounds Spider-Man characters, Sony owns the movie rights to Spider-Man and all the lore that surrounds him. Venom and other villains of the wall-crawler were also a part of this deal. Therefore, films containing Sony’s batch of Marvel characters tend to come across as a bit more unfavourable when compared to Disney’s MCU.
2021’s Venom: Let there be Carnage is Marvel and Sony letting loose and showing off some of their quirkiness. Venom 2 was directed by Andy Sirkis, a master of performance capture, best known for his role as Gollum from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Setting and Plot
Eddie and Venom have been fighting crime for over a year as the lethal protector. However, despite their close symbiotic relationship keeping them together, they are now experiencing some growing pains in their partnership, mostly from Eddie’s side. Meanwhile, a serial killer on death row by the name of Cletis Cassidy manages to get his hands on a newborn symbiote called Carnage.
The narrative for this film is tight but gives the characters very little room to breathe. Outside of the more comedic parts, the rest of the film’s interactions felt bland by comparison. A scene in particular that could have benefitted from a slower, more meticulous direction was Cledis’ transformation into the monstrous Carnage. Maybe if Serkis pushed for a more unsettling approach, the character would have come out as far more menacing.
The film doubles down on the comedy, making the most trivial of tasks look hilarious. One of my favourite scenes was watching Venom cheer up a disheartened Eddie with a magnificent breakfast, enough to put a smile on any host to an alien parasite’s face, a shame he had to trash the entire kitchen to cook it. Also, watching Venom talk about his grievous in the nightclub and being misunderstood entirely by the onlookers was priceless.
The final bout between Venom and Carnage is also exceptional. Unlike the previous film’s CGI black goop fest, this fight felt a lot easier to follow. Venom fights like a professional wrestler, using techniques such as elbow drops along with several grapples. Carnage, on the other hand, is far more bestial. Using his tendrils and vicious nature to overpower his opponents. The animators made an effort to show the difference between the characters and their symbiotes to which they deserve a good deal of credit.
Character and Plot
Eddie and Venom’s central relationship can be described as a narcissistic gay romance between Tom Hardy and himself, a characteristic that even their close friends have managed to catch up on. Of the two, the alien ooze is the one to be most invested in his partner’s life, constantly helping Eddie out whenever he can. Venom is what happens when your dog has suddenly gotten a taste for brains and now is copiloting your body.
As for Eddie himself, he wants to be the everyman, trying to live his day to day routine despite its mediocrity and unable to see his own potential. You could say that he is his own worse enemy for wanting to be ordinary.
Woody Harrelson, best known for playing the role of Tallahassee in the Zombieland series, portrays a lot less manic Kledis Cassidy than his previous incarnations. The character has a purpose, an objective to keep him in line with the Carnage symbiote itself being the brains behind the operation.
Cassidy is more interested in finding his long lost love, Shriek, portrayed by Naomie Harris, best known for her role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as the sea witch Tia Dalma. However, her sonic powers pose more of a threat than anything to the Carnage symbiote’s wellbeing, creating an unstable love triangle between the three antagonists.
Now moving onto the relationship between the main hero and villain, and needed to say there isn’t one exactly. Eddie and Cledis do meet up a couple of times for interviews, with Eddie viewing them as nothing more than business. Carnage should have no beef at all with Venom, but for some unexplained reason, he does.
Conclusion
Venom : Let there be Carnage is not a perfect film. Its story fits too tightly into for there to be any wiggle room, prioritising comedy over anything else. However, the humour can be hit or miss for some, as it mainly focuses on the paring’s odd partnership. Several characters feel a bit underdeveloped or underutilised, and there is a severe lack of action scenes from the lead protagonists.
That said, in its own way, it is a unique film that almost feels like an experiment for future projects, skimming along the lines of what makes a Marvel movie with its gritty atmosphere. There are some improvements regarding performance capture between Tom and Woody with their respected symbiotes thanks to Andy Sirkis’s guidance, but not a lot in respect to other characters.
If you are a fan of more distinct anti-hero movies, such as Logan or Deadpool, then Venom: Let there Be Carnage would fit right in. I can also imagine those who watched series with more chaotic protagonists taking a liking to the film, such as Umbrella Academy or even Loki. All in all, the Lethal Protector’s second outing may not be perfect, but it is a fine film if you give it a chance.
