Venom: Let There Be Carnage

THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE MOVIE REVIEW

On Friday, October 1st 2021, the sequel to Marvel and Sony’s 2018 Venom movie was released in just a few film markets across the world, and yet it was still a smash hit for the 2021 pandemic box office records!

Venom (right) and Eddie Brock (left) surprisingly fight over one of the few chickens in their apartment in “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”

Who’s Who?

The film, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, once again stars Tom Hardy as the down-on-his-luck reporter Eddie Brock and also the goofy yet TERRIFYING alien symbiote monster, Venom! The movie is directed by none other than Andy Serkis, also known as the “King Of CGI”. For those who don’t know, CGI (also known as VFX) just means Computer Generated Images, as in like special/visual effects. Andy Serkis’s expertise in the realm of CGI (he has previously played many famous CGI characters, such as Caesar from the Planet Of The Apes Trilogy, Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars sequels, Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings/Hobbit series, etc) has really shone it’s light on this film, especially since it’s mostly about two big symbiotic goo monsters fighting each other around San Francisco. Now, some of the returning co-stars that appear alongside Hardy in this film include Michelle Williams as Anne Weying/She-Venom, Reid Scott as Dr. Dan Lewis, and Peggy Lu as Mrs. Chen. Newcomer Stephen Graham enters the movie as Detective Patrick Mulligan, a San Francisco P.D detective who steps up to this case for justice…and out of the annoyance of his job, having to deal with absolutely crazy goopy alien monsters fighting and running around San Francisco. Speaking of alien monsters fighting throughout San Francisco, Woody Harrelson and Naomie Harris also join the cast in the new film as the powerful, crazy and villainous duo of Cletus Kasady/Carnage and Frances Barrison a.k.a Shriek, both of who love to cause MAXIMUM CARNAGE all throughout the streets of San Francisco!

Main Plot/Story

Now, the basic plot of this film (without sharing any spoilers) is that Eddie Brock and Venom have been living together in Eddie’s apartment for the past couple of years…but definitely not peacefully living together. While the two of them bicker their lives away like an old married couple, Cletus Kasady (a crazy vicious serial killer) hears of Eddie Brock and his journey in journalism, and he offers Eddie the scoop of a lifetime: All of Cletus’s dark life secrets. However, things kind of go sideways between Eddie, Venom and Cletus, causing Cletus to obtain an alien symbiote of his own named Carnage, and he escapes prison to find the love of his life, Frances Barrison a.k.a Shriek, so they can both cause absolute HELL everywhere! Will Eddie and Venom set aside their problems to take down the malicious duo of Cletus Kasady/Carnage and Shriek? You’ll just have to watch the film to find out exactly how this extreme story ends (which I highly recommend you do).

Public Opinions/Reviews

While this film may sound epic on paper, it also ends up being really AMAZINGLY EPIC on screen! Here are a couple of actual thoughts and reviews on the movie from some of our very own students of J. Clarke Richardson. Firstly, we have Lakthika K (grade 11 student), who says this about the film, “OMG I loved it so much! It was a bit rushed, but it was much funnier than the first movie. They definitely could’ve slowed down the pace, but I loved the end credit scene, and they definitely should make a third movie!”. Also, one of our more well-known students throughout the school, Sadaf J (grade 11 student), had this to say about the film, “It was amazing, a masterpiece! I loved the transition of the tone from the first movie to the second, I loved the showing of the difference in the symbiosis between Venom and Carnage and their hosts (Eddie and Cletus) and I loved the actors!”. Along with these reviews, many Marvel fans have even taken to social media like Twitter to express their love for this film! Now, one may have to ask, “Are these comments true? Are these valid criticisms?”, and the answer to that is: yes. This film does have a rather jarring pace, as it starts off extremely fast, and at points, it does start to feel like the pace is relaxing, but by then the film is about halfway done, so that is one small issue that I hope Marvel and Sony can fix in the next film. Also, this film does have a rather large tonal change compared to the first film, however, a good majority of viewers believed that this change was for the better, and that it really elevated this film into the realm of being a true comic-book movie, like what many comic-book fans have been longing for a rather long time, especially after the hyper-realistic superhero movie era of the 2000s.

Personal Review

Essentially, I (Ruhin Rahi), do believe that this film is a quintessential must-see view for any major Marvel fan, especially any big Spider-Man Universe fan. Yes, there are certainly many references and easter eggs that call back to many important Marvel comic books in this movie, and the general viewer may not catch them all, however that is no reason to not watch this film. This film is really well-rounded and well suited for almost everyone, because it has almost a little bit of everything. Lots of action and adventure, a sly mystery, lots of comedy, some drama, a few unexpected romances, and even some mild horror! Also, this is one of the shortest superhero movies that has been released these past couple of years, as it clocks in at only 1 hour and 37 minutes long. It’s definitely not a long and tasking watch, as it is actually a rather easy watch. This movie is kind of like a turn-your-brain-off-popcorn-summer blockbuster kind of film, and that’s totally ok because it’s just such a plain fun and intriguing movie (which today’s film industry could really use once in a while)! By the end of the movie, Marvel fans should be leaving this film with a big smile on their faces, because the one post-credit scene for this film is a HUGELY IMPORTANT one, as it has a really big impact on the Marvel universe(s), and it really gives some big implications towards where the story will go for Marvel and Sony’s forthcoming Spider-Man related films that come after this. So the only advice I’d have for anyone who is planning to watch this movie is: turn your brains off, get your popcorn ready, and just have a fun time! Also, just like any and every single Marvel movie, remember to stay after the credits.

Conclusion

All in all, Venom: Let There Be Carnage definitely has its flaws and imperfections, however, it is an extremely fun movie that definitely deserves a watch! Some very few theatres may still be playing and showing this film, however since this film was released in October of this year, its current theatrical run is now over (one can’t watch this film currently in cinemas anymore). But worry not cinema lovers, as Venom: Let There Be Carnage has just recently been released on DVD, Blu-Ray, Youtube Movies, Prime Video, Google Play, Itunes, the Microsoft Store and everywhere/anywhere else that movies can be purchased. Now. one last thing that I will leave you all with, is that as a HUGE MARVEL FAN myself, I HIGHLY recommend watching this film before you go and watch this year’s most highly anticipated film, Spider-Man: No Way Home. When you watch it, you’ll understand exactly why it’s better to watch this film before Spider-Man. Happy viewings, and enjoy the film!

Carnage (above, played and voiced by Woody Harrelson) letting out a terrifying roar!

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