Venom Review: Dumb, schlocky fun
With the upcoming release of the franchise's third installment, I felt the urge to write about one of the most oddly memorable comic book movies of all time. This movie is undoubtedly like no other movie. Venom is an odd movie. It is one of those films completely divided among the fanbase, with most critics disliking it and the audience being quite positive about it. These are typically the most intriguing films to talk about, as I never only agree with audiences or critics. And, for this film, I'm going to break it down and see where I land on the Venom spectrum. So, without further ado, The Reel Ranker presents... a Venom Review: Dumb, schlocky fun.
Venom was the first movie to take a Spider-Man villain and give them a lead role in a film. Now, this has become a pretty awful trend, but this is easily the best of the bunch (at least, so far). It starts with a probe that lands on Earth in Malaysia, but a group of alien symbiotes escape. My man, Eddie Brock, learns of this probe and decides to investigate further. However, when he breaks into the facility, he becomes possessed by the last surviving symbiote. He then is hunted down and attacked by Drake, the villain who later receives one of the symbiotes that previously escaped. They then have an epic final battle, and Carnage is teased, and, boom, the movie is over.
So the best part of this movie is obvious: the buddy cop chemistry between Venom and Eddie Brock. Without this incredibly dynamic, this movie would very likely fail to be interesting. In fact, this is a rather bland comic book film on paper. If it weren't for the perfect acting of the main characters, there's no chance I'd even call this movie a good movie, let alone a great movie. Everything else this film presents exemplifies a low-bar, generic superhero film. But, due to the magic this film has, I can't help but love it.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 78%
Letter Score: B-
Star Ranking: 4 out of 5
If you enjoy films centered around dumb, unadulterated fun, then you'll absolutely adore this movie. If you need a deep, original story with twists and turns, stick to more prestige films like Joker or The Dark Knight. While I will admit I like those types of movies better, Venom perfectly executes what it set out to do. And ultimately? Venom is a highly recommendable film.
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