Venom

Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour, 52 minutes
Director: Ruben Fleischer

Quick Impressions:
“Best movie I’ve seen in a while,” was our fifteen-year-old’s verdict on this darkly funny, action-packed popcorn flick. And his nine-year-old sister chimed in, “Now I want to watch it again!”

I agree with both of them, though it may be a while before we watch Venom again since it took us a month to see it the first time! (Coordinating our schedules is always tricky during marching season now that we have a sax player in the family.)

When the trailer for Venom first came out, I was game (as usual) but not that excited. Then came the new Eminem album. Once the Venom song got stuck in my head, I was suddenly dying to see the movie (which is weird given that it’s honestly one of the weaker tracks). I mean, I like Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams well enough, and Marvel movies are always fun (even when done by Sony), but the articulate intensity of Eminem is what really created my driving need to see this slice of symbiotic cinema (well that, and the incessant pleading of my kids).

“I’m not sure why so many critics didn’t like this movie,” my husband said afterwards.

“Because they were wrong,” is the only satisfying answer I can conjure up without actually reading their reviews which I never do until I’ve written and posted my own.

In this case, what the critics say shouldn’t matter much. The movie is a box office hit. The showing we saw–a full month after Venom opened–sold out. And this movie has more positive word of mouth than anything I’ve seen this year (or maybe ever. Venom fans are not shy about telling you, “The critics are WRONG! This movie is GOOD!” I feel like for the entire month of October, my Facebook feed could agree on just two things, “Vote because the opposition will,” and, “Venom is GOOD!”)

Venom is good. It is definitely the least disappointing live action blockbuster I’ve seen all year. Or, at least, while I watched it and for a couple of hours afterward, it felt like the least disappointing live action blockbuster I’ve seen all year. For me, Venom was such satisfying escapist fun that it temporarily eclipsed all the other good popcorn flicks of 2018. And with a movie like this, it’s what happens in the moment that matters.

I have liked other blockbusters this year, obviously. (Infinity War was impressive, but not exactly mindless, no-strings-attached good times.) And there have also been crowd-pleasers that didn’t please me as much at the time because I had an inner ear infection. (That’s pretty much only A Quiet Place which actually improves on repeat viewings, especially when the loud ringing in your ears dies down a bit.) Skyscraper did let me down, though. The trailer made me think of Die Hard, but then the movie made me think I should have just stayed home and re-watched Die Hard. Just recently, I sighed in frustration to my husband, “From the trailers, I never would have guessed that I would like Rampage better than Skyscraper!”

I love films that make me think, but I also love a good blockbuster, a movie that when watched in the theater on a big screen with great sound provides a visceral rush of pure pleasure and enjoyment. As far as I can remember at this moment, one popcorn flick this year has given me that rush of simple pleasure and made me remember, “Wow! I love going to the movies! It’s so fun!” That movie is Venom.

Based on word of mouth, I expected to like the movie, but it exceeded my expectations. Honestly, it made me feel like my expectations for entertainment at the movie theater have been too low. I don’t think I’ve realized how disappointed I’ve been by some movies this year until I saw this one.

In fairness, though, maybe part of that sense of elation is because I went in worried that the movie might be terrible.

The Good:
Here’s the thing about the critics. Yes, sometimes they’re wrong. But…sometimes, they’re right, too. I mean taste is subjective, sure, but in the same way that a trained mechanic will know what parts in your car aren’t working, a trained critic will be able to point to weak elements in a film.

More often in not, my tastes align with mainstream critical consensus. People who distrust critics don’t like to hear this, but sometimes movies that fans adore really are horribly flawed despite their appeal.  So going in, I knew there was always the chance that Venom could turn out to be cool but still kind of…bad.

But (surprisingly) Venom is not like that at all. The movie is actually great, and that unlikely outcome makes it even better. Perhaps one of Venom‘s most refreshing qualities is that it just wants to entertain us.

I’m not saying the movie has no message. (Its concern that we’re rapidly making Earth uninhabitable is the farthest thing from subtle. And it also gives us many examples of rich and/or powerful people finding other humans expendable. Venom is not suffering for morals to the story. You can pick the one you like best. They’re all true in real life, so the movie doesn’t have to work too hard to sell us on any of them.)

I’m saying that Venom unabashedly gives us what we want. I’ve heard that in spirit, in tone, it’s very true to the comics. Let’s set that aside because I haven’t read Venom comics. But I did see a lot of funny action blockbusters with my parents growing up, and protagonist Eddie Brock is clearly living in one of those. When his boss gives him a stern lecture before sending him out on an assignment, it’s just so immediately clear who this guy is. He’s a loose cannon, a rebel. He never plays by the rules, and clearly his personal life is about to fall apart, but he has charisma and (arguably) good intentions, and if he can only keep from being his own worst enemy, then we just know he’s going to save the world. This guy may not be the hero we deserve, but he’s the hero we want. He’s like the comfort food of movie heroes.

The accent Thomas Hardy uses for the character even kind of reminds me of Bruce Willis in Die Hard. (Apparently I judge all blockbusters by how much they’re like Die Hard.) But I mean, this guy is the perfect movie anti-hero. He even rides a cool motorcycle. Audiences love this type of character.

And the movie is full of other things audiences love, too, like high speed chases, intelligent women who show agency and courage, megalomaniacal villains, aliens, superpowers, whistleblowers, action, comedy, dynamic characters with compelling development, a story that makes sense, a brisk pace, a modest runtime, great special effects that enhance the story, elegant and logical fight choreography, a cute little dog (who has a job to do).

Audiences love this stuff, including me. As much as I live for Oscar-baity fare that makes me think, I also crave escapist fantasy that captures my imagination.  But mainstream popcorn flicks do not always provide that type of pleasurable escape. So many of them are not good. They’re full of bad CGI, pointless action, humorless scripts, dumb plots, unlikable characters, bad acting. And I would much rather sit through a mediocre art house film than a bad, boring, endless blockbuster. I prefer thinking to torture.

But Venom is that rare gem that really is fun to watch. What’s best about it is that as you watch, you forget to think about what makes it good and simply enjoy it.

I’m really not sure how this movie could fail to win over critics. For one thing, Tom Hardy’s lead performance is so charming. The movie would lose a lot, I think, if another actor provided the voice of Venom. If you do not enjoy Bruce-Willis-sounding Hardy having prolonged conversations with the voice of even-Baner-than-Bane Hardy, then you do not appreciate good acting when you see it. Eddie Brock is living out a baffling nightmare while Venom’s terrifying voice provides comic relief, even when the creature intends to be serious. And one guy is performing all this. Hardy is a talented actor, and he makes Eddie’s dialogues with the symbiote so incredibly entertaining. Not only are these chats hilarious, but they also show the ongoing development of two dynamic characters.

Watching Tom Hardy at war with himself is the biggest draw of this film. His performance is quite winning. But he’s given a lot to work with. Venom is not a dumb film. It shows us Eddie Brock, a flawed protagonist who wants to help people but has no respect of boundaries and little understanding of the world. Initially, Eddie behaves in a self-serving way in his quest to be a hero, oblivious to the fact that his risky behavior could hurt others and why that might matter. Eddie naively believes that because he has moral ends, he can do anything he deems necessary to achieve those ends. Then he discovers that simply exposing the immorality of someone with power will not prevent the powerful person from retaining the upper hand and retaliating against Eddie, also hurting those Eddie has carelessly exposed. 

This debacle leaves Eddie Brock in want of two things, a way to learn to respect the needs and boundaries of others and a way to gain the power to fight back against entrenched evil. Enter the symbiote Venom. This creature can give Eddie extraordinary power, but the catch is, it will be inside his body and inside his head the entire time. Such an arrangement forces Eddie to consider the needs and input of someone else during his every waking moment. He must become more conscientious and considerate, but if he can learn to get along, then he will have the power he needs to make a real difference in his fight against evil.

Eddie, though, is not the only person who wishes to achieve noble ends through sketchy means, not the only one who initially elevates the well being of society in general above the well being of the individual. Somebody else in the story also starts out in a moral position just like this, but instead of growing like Eddie, he doubles down on his troubling tendencies.

So the characters in this story provide plenty of material for reflection. They’re quite well drawn, and though Hardy’s performance is the backbone of the movie, the supporting cast is all pretty great, too.

Michelle Williams makes a likeable love interest as Anne Weying. I could definitely sympathize with her in the beginning. Sometimes movie break-ups feel contrived, but what Eddie does to her is an enragingly self-absorbed betrayal. What’s best about Anne’s character, though, is the logic, pragmatism, and compassion driving her own behavior. When Eddie shows up in the middle of the movie acting totally disturbed, some movie love interests would yell in outrage, “What’s wrong with you?! You’re embarrassing me in public!” But she’s like, “Hmm. There must be something medically wrong with you. Let’s get some tests run.” She actually behaves like a reasonable person, and then when she says she wants to help him, she proactively takes steps that really will help. Reid Scott is also good.

I’ve liked Riz Ahmed since Nightcrawler, and I think Carlton Drake is such a cool, comic booky name. And it’s nice to see Jenny Slate, too. Lately I hear her voice everywhere but don’t actually see her face nearly as often.  Her character also has a captivating storyline, even though it doesn’t go on too long.

Best Action Sequence:
My favorite part in the whole movie is the big motorcycle chase. For one thing, it just looks cool. It’s such an exhilarating rush, and I’m not even actually on the bike.

Watching, I saw the always exciting lights of the city on street level and thought, “Ohh, man! I hope the world doesn’t end! I really like the world!”

Later it occurred to me that Venom is experiencing the wonder and rush of this scene, too, even more fully than I am, actually. Surely that affects him similarly. That’s really terrific filmmaking.

I also think the scene works brilliantly as an E.T. homage/tribute.  (That must be intentional.  Eddie has even jokingly mentioned E.T. just a few scenes earlier.)

The chase is also just a nice showcase of San Francisco.  Why set the movie there if you’re not planning elaborate chase scenes?

Best Scene:
That motorcycle chase is my favorite scene. Aside from that, I can’t pin down one best scene. All of the scenes featuring Eddie interacting with Venom are so much fun. Eddie’s interactions with Jenny Slate’s character pre-Venom are also quite captivating.

Best Scene Visually:
There’s a moment early on when a truck rips apart in a suggestive shape, and it looks like the alien is emerging from the birth canal. I liked that.

Eddie’s first encounter with his loud neighbor as Venom is a moment that works pretty much entirely visually, too.

The Negatives:
If I had to guess why some critics didn’t love this movie, I’d say “tonal irregularities.” That’s what critics always say when I find something wild and hilarious. Honestly, I think my life has tonal irregularities. But some people don’t like any humor mixed into their intense situations. That seems like a joyless way to experience the world (and a fundamental misunderstanding of this movie and character), but I’m sure somebody found the persistent humor once Venom finds Eddie intrusive and off-putting. Think Fifth Element (or really any film by Luc Besson). In Venom, intense dark violence or peril is often accompanied by a few random chuckles. Venom’s commentary–even when offered seriously–often comes across as hilariously silly. Just the voice of Venom is so over-the-top, it’s funny. Hearing him say mundane things like, “You’re a loser, Eddie,” in that intense alien voice is extremely amusing. And watching Eddie do things like sit in a lobster tank or bite someone’s head off…it’s outrageous behavior.

Critics often don’t like stuff like this. One way to put it is, “I didn’t connect with the humor,” or, “I mistook serious moments for comedy,” but the usual line is, “The film has tonal irregularities.” Venom doesn’t actually take this kind of thing nearly as far as the average Luc Besson film, by the way. Still, I’m positive some people probably did not like the movie because of its tonal irregularities.

When puzzling about the poor critical reception after the film, my husband said, “The only thing I could see is that people might criticize how abruptly” a certain character makes a key and pivotal decision, a volte-face of his previous position/agenda.

Yes, that does seem to happen really fast, but the groundwork is well laid for this decision. We are just told that it’s happening very suddenly, and the verbal explanation for this move is a bit lacking. What we are actually shown in the film, however, should not only prepare us for the decision, but even give us everything we need to understand the character’s motivations. (I’d say more, but I don’t want to spoil the movie for anyone seeing it even later than I did.)

There are other things we’re shown but not told–why Eddie (and another key character) are successful hosts when so many others fail, why Eddie would eventually embrace what has happened to him. The movie does explain these things, but not by telling us in so many words. It asks us to watch the action and make inferences. This style worked for me here, but others might have found it frustrating.

The only thing I found a bit disappointing was that the movie ended when I wanted it to keep going. This is just the way it is with origin stories., though  Just when they get everything set up, and we’re all ready to watch the hero begin his crime-fighting adventures, they end. But ending abruptly has a flip side, too. It means the movie doesn’t drag on and on for three hours, which is usually for the best.

Well, I guess there is one more little thing. I wanted to spend some more time with Carlton Drake. He’s given such a slow, methodical, intriguing set up. I wish he had lasted longer after peaking. I liked the character but wanted even more development.  And the last big confrontation didn’t thrill me all that much.  (Still, it was better than the final battle of Wonder Woman.)