While I'm "invested" in the Venom series - now trilogy - I've never really come out of one anything less than moderately entertained, yet still disappointed. As is the case with many of Sony's Spider-Man villain spin-offs they continue to shove down our throats, these are comic book films of yesteryear. Poorly written and plotted, uneven special effects, and minimal (or none) emotional heft.
The Venom series has been the highlight, but only by default. Venom (original) was fun enough, largely because of its fun take on Venom and Eddie's chemistry, while Let There be Carnage was forgettable and dull, bordering on bad. My excitement for The Last Dance was low, particularly in a weekend with some other exciting films dropping, but hey, I love Tom Hardy and it felt like I needed to close out this trilogy.
Luckily, The Last Dance is the best Venom film by a considerable margin. It's still nothing I'm going to claim is "utterly fantastic", but this third go around, it really feels like it's just here to have fun, and that's largely what it is.
As has been the case this whole trilogy, the plot is thin. It's not as nonsensical as the other two; our planet is under attack by Knull, a god the symbiotes imprisoned. There's clunky exposition left and right and it's delivered poorly by anyone who isn't Tom Hardy (person) or Tom Hardy (Venom). It culminates in your typical CGI smashfest, though again, this is the best finale of the three because it has a "f**k it!" attitude and throws a lot at it.
Where the story is semi-special is the bond between Eddie and Venom, who're now best friends after being at each other's throats for the better part of 2 films. This relationship feels sincere and, coupled with a few characters that bring some emotional connection, The Last Dance wears it's heart on its sleeve more than you would expect. Along with this authentic connection, Venom 3 also has some genuine humor. These have always been funny films (part of what keeps me coming back to them), but The Last Dance is truly hilarious in certain moments, thanks to Venom's aggressive one liners. A particular one about Lady Luck would have made me do a spit take had I been drinking water. As mentioned, the film also just likes to have fun. It's the "last dance" so why not? And moments like Venom populating certain animals, singing with a family, or dancing to A*Teens stand out as overtly silly, but totally fitting with this zany character.
This Venom trilogy ends with a healthy dose of well-timed humor, more heart than normal, and an emphasis on having fun. While it's not going to be topping anybody's lists for 2024, it is most certainly the best Venom film we've gotten. I still vehemently believe this character needs to make it to the MCU at some point, for the character interactions alone, but even if this is truly his last dance, it was a surprisingly enjoyable one.
Rapid Rath's Review Score | 7/10
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