Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

Release Date: October 31, 2024
Director: Kelly Marcel
Starring: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans

So there I was, no expectations, no preconceived notions, just another trip to the cinema on a Saturday night. I’d skipped a few Venom movies in the past, but hey, a final hurrah with Tom Hardy sounded like a decent enough reason to grab a couple of shots and see what they’d cooked up. As the credits rolled, though, my main thought was, "Did they even try?"

The Setup: The Not-So-Grand Finale

Venom: The Last Dance begins with Eddie Brock (Hardy) sulking at a bar in Mexico, stewing in misery and a healthy amount of tequila. Venom’s as restless as ever, egging Eddie on to get back on the road. But before you know it, Eddie’s faced with a new problem: he’s now public enemy number one, somehow being framed for some unfortunate events back in the States. Venom’s trying to cheer him up with his usual wisecracks, but Eddie? He’s exhausted. And who can blame him?

It doesn’t take long before the movie takes off, attempting to throw Eddie and Venom into a new, “final” adventure. Enter Knull, the so-called “King in Black”—a cosmic symbiote god who’s got a personal vendetta and some fresh recruits, the Xenophages, all bent on retrieving a “key” that Venom accidentally activated. This setup might sound epic on paper, but sadly, it doesn’t take long to realize this is just another franchise trying to cash in on one last dance. If you’ve watched Venom struggle, bicker, and bond with Eddie in the past, prepare yourself for a familiar ride—only this time, it’s a bit worn-out.

Familiar Thrills, but Little New

Now, I’ve seen enough movies to recognize when the same story is being repackaged, but Venom: The Last Dance seems to wear its lack of originality as a badge of honor. There are bits of Spider-Man post-credit scenes reworked, echoes of Guardians of the Galaxy thrown in, and a dash of buddy-comedy angst as Venom and Eddie bicker like an old married couple. There’s a particular callback to Knull’s origin that should be awe-inspiring, yet it lands with the finesse of a tacked-on storyline, as if it was a last-minute decision to give Venom some cosmic ties.

And then there’s General Strickland (Ejiofor), the high-ranking military official whose goal is to capture Venom for... reasons? There’s no real depth here, just a lot of jargon about covert government agencies, scientific weaponization, and the same old trope of military brass who see aliens as experiments. Pair him with Dr. Teddy Payne (Temple), the amoral scientist with her own agenda, and you get a duo that could’ve been interesting if the writing gave them anything worth sinking their teeth into. Their interactions are limited to expositional dialogue, spelling out their intentions to each other as if they hadn’t already been working on this for years.

The Performances: Fine Actors Lost in the Shuffle

Tom Hardy does what he can with what he’s got, but you can tell he’s checked out. He plays Eddie with a weariness that’s almost too real, his chemistry with Venom dialed down to a mumble of occasional zingers. Venom’s chaotic energy is still there, giving us some much-needed humor and a few laugh-out-loud moments. But it’s not enough to save the movie.

Chiwetel Ejiofor as General Strickland could have been a highlight, but instead, he’s sidelined into the usual one-note military villain role. If you’ve seen Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave or The Pod Generation, you know he’s capable of much more than this. He’s here for the paycheck, delivering a solid performance that the script sadly doesn’t deserve. And Juno Temple as Dr. Payne? A talented actress given a character who might as well be a cardboard cutout of the “morally ambiguous scientist.” If you’re looking for character depth, look elsewhere.

Rhys Ifans plays Martin Moon, an eccentric hippie whose dream is to meet an alien at Area 51. This could’ve been a quirky role, but he feels like he’s wandered in from a completely different movie. He’s amusing, but he’s also just... there.

The Plot: Too Much Yet Somehow Too Little

One of the movie’s biggest issues is its pacing. The Last Dance seems desperate to cram in as many plotlines as possible, making for a jumbled narrative that’s equal parts confusing and tedious. One moment we’re dealing with cosmic gods, the next we’re bouncing between flashbacks and dream sequences. Eddie’s on a journey to clear his name, fight a cosmic god, and somehow figure out his life with Venom—and it’s all stuffed into 100 minutes of stop-start scenes that left me checking my watch more than once.

And then there’s the editing. It’s like watching a movie held together by sticky tape. Characters suddenly appear with no explanation, background players are suddenly front and center, and scenes fade in and out so awkwardly you half-expect someone to yell, “Cut!” The whole thing reeks of hasty post-production, with clumsy transitions and haphazard pacing that’s hard to ignore.

The Few Shining Moments

Despite its flaws, there are a few moments that shine. Venom’s humor and one-liners are sharp as ever, and his interactions with Eddie still bring that chaotic charm we’ve come to love. And there’s a mid-film sequence set to David Bowie’s Space Oddity that’s surprisingly emotional. Eddie sits in the quiet, reminiscing on his life before Venom, realizing just how far he’s fallen from anything remotely normal. It’s one of the rare scenes that feels like it belongs in a final chapter, giving us a glimpse of the emotional weight the film could’ve carried.

The final battle is somewhat satisfying, especially for fans who have followed the comics. There’s a bit of fan service that may bring a grin to longtime Venom enthusiasts, but even that feels rushed. The grand villain, Knull, gets some screentime, but there’s no real showdown. Instead, we get a messy scuffle that wraps up too quickly, leaving little impact.

The Ending: An Unintended Comedy

The film’s climax should have been an emotional crescendo, but instead, it’s a series of clichés topped off with Maroon 5’s Memories playing in the background. It’s like they were aiming for sentimentality and accidentally hit “unintentionally hilarious” instead. You know a film’s in trouble when the supposed heart-wrenching moments have you stifling a laugh.

In the end, Eddie and Venom’s “last dance” is an anticlimactic one, and while the film tries to give us a heartfelt send-off, it’s hard to feel anything but mild relief that this is (supposedly) the end.

Final Thoughts: A Forgettable Finale to an Unnecessary Sequel

If you’ve been following the Venom series, The Last Dance might be worth a watch for closure’s sake. But be prepared for a slog. With recycled plots, lackluster performances, and choppy editing, this “final” movie feels more like an afterthought.

Sure, there’s a handful of laughs, and Venom’s humor keeps it from being completely unbearable. But as the credits roll, I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed, as if the film itself had just given up halfway through. For a character as wild as Venom, this felt more like a slow waltz than a “last dance.”

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/10)