We've seen what fans thought of Venom: Let There Be Carnage (they loved it), but critics are now finally starting to weigh in. These reactions do tend to be indicative of the reviews, so if what we see below is anything to go by, they'll be far more positive than they were for Ruben Fleischer's Venom back in 2018.
It sounds like new director Andy Serkis has nailed the tone of the Marvel Comics sequel, while Tom Hardy appears to have found his groove with Eddie Brock. His previous performance was certainly unique, but it felt a lot like he was throwing everything at the wall - including jumping into a lobster tank - to see what would stick. Now, though, he's seemingly made Venom his own.
That short runtime does appear to be something of a detriment to Venom: Let There Be Carnage, with not enough room for all the sequel's ideas to be fully explored. Beyond that, it's hard to say whether this movie will convert fans who weren't on board with Venom, but it still appears to be a major upgrade.
With 357 reviews, Venom has a lowly 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, so we're intrigued to see how this follow-up compares. Either way, it'll be worth keeping an eye on those box office numbers.
Check out the first reactions below, and check back here on Thursday at 6am PT for our review!