The review embargo for Venom: The Last Dance has lifted and critics are now having their say about a movie billed as Tom Hardy's final waltz as Sony's Lethal Protector.
Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage both seemed to be appreciated by audiences more than reviewers, so it will be interesting to see how this threequel fares over the weekend. For now, these verdicts should give you a better idea of what to expect.
As usual, we'll start with the trades; Deadline says the movie is, "not the best of its kind, but by no means the worst, and even when the inevitable war breaks out between humans, xenophages and symbiotes, Marcel orchestrates the action in a surprisingly comprehensible style." According to Variety, "The alien gets the good lines, and Tom Hardy completes his mumblemouth Bowery Boy peformance, in a sequel that's as fun, and rote, as the others."
The Hollywood Reporter notes, "The action is bigger and louder, if at times messier, than that of its predecessors, but this is also the cuddliest of the three movies." As for The Wrap, the site's critic wasn't a fan. "If this is what Sony thinks the 'Venom' movies should be like, they can keep it," the review concludes. "What a lousy way to say goodbye. No greatest hits. Just a strikeout."
Rolling Stone was more positive and stated, "[The] Spidey-adjacent fan favorite finishes out his trilogy with the usual buddy-comedy-meets-blockbuster spectacle, some laughs, and bit of fan sentimentality." Nerdist also gives the thumbs up by explaining, "If you liked the first two Venom films you’ll like The Last Dance. If you didn’t, then you won’t like this one, either. But I don’t understand how someone could dislike a real-life McBain movie starring a symbiote and better actors."
IGN's verdict, on the other hand, reads, "Venom: The Last Dance trips over its own tendrils and lets a boring, generic plot, and bad action distract from the surprisingly resilient central relationship between Eddie Brock and his symbiote bestie."
Empire walked away unhappy. "It’s third time unlucky for a series that still hasn’t worked out what it wants to be. The Last Dance can’t find its rhythm." As for Total Film, the site says it, "Occupies a space far more safe and sanitized than the source comics, all boiling down to one big chase movie." Digital Spy counters that by calling the threequel "the most entertaining outing of the trilogy" and "[a] movie [that] delivers where it counts."
We Live Entertainment's review was also largely positive. "Make no mistake, Venom is still putting on a wacky show, but I was pleased to see The Last Dance allow this series to finally find its footing." The Independent echoes that by writing, "The third and supposedly final chapter in this oddly vintage buddy comedy super-villain series is plenty fun – if you ignore the abundance of dull exposition."
So, a bit of a mixed bag but what did you expect? Fans and critics alike seem to either love or hate the Venom franchise and this movie wasn't ever going to change any minds.
In our review, we concluded by saying, "The most cinematic, monumental Venom movie to date, The Last Dance leaves room for improvement but by upping the stakes and allowing Eddie and Venom to bond, it’s epic and heartfelt enough to leave us hoping this is far from Tom Hardy’s last whirl as the Lethal Protector."
Will you be watching Venom: The Last Dance in theaters this weekend?