A defence of two underrated ‘low tier’ superhero movies
Hands up! This is a stick-up! No sudden movements. Just sit back down and keep your attention on the screen. I'm about to say something shocking, but that's no excuse to act the hero. Just keep scrolling and everything will be okay.
I like the Venom movies. In fact, I like them a lot.
I know I’m in the minority when I say this. I’m even genuinely looking forward to the third movie, Venom: The Last Dance coming out this weekend. Many have questioned the merit of the mere existence of these movies, judging them to be some of the worst superhero trash to have come out this century. 'Who are Sony even making these movies for?' They ask.
Me. They’re making them for me.
I must say that it’s rather flattering to have a movie studio and several stars back a series of projects like this just because they know that one Irishman is a fan (Thanks, guys). Although, given the enormous financial risk Sony takes every time they make one of these movies for me, I feel like it is my duty to preach the virtues of them to anybody who will listen. (And even those who won't. Hey, hands where I can see 'em!)
To that end, I recently watched Venom and its sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage back-to-back in one sitting in order to fully immerse myself in the world of Venom and bring to you my most earnest of praise for these superhero movies, neither of which crack a 3.0/5 on Letterboxd.
Let us begin.
Off The Record
When disgraced investigative journalist Eddie Brock (Hardy) follows a lead to a shady pharmaceutical company that has been experimenting on homeless people, he accidentally bonds with a formless ‘symbiote’ from outer space named Venom, who grants him a variety of powers so long as Eddie doesn’t mind sharing his brain with a hungry, bloodthirsty alien with a fragile ego.
The ‘Venoms’ are buddy cop movies where both cops live in the same body. For as far-out as the premises and scenarios are, that’s the core of the movie right there. But what makes them especially enjoyable is, of course, the acting talent of one Edward Thomas Hardy.
Apart from technically sharing the same first name as the lead character, Hardy inhabits the role of Eddie Brock in a… noticeable way. Much fuss has been made about his accent and mannerisms in these movies. Personally, I love the performances. Hardy is swinging for the fences but is also incredibly funny once you tune into his wavelength.
We Are Venom
I think it’s incredibly telling of Hardy’s talent that in one moment he can pull off a scene where he’s chomping down on raw chicken nuggets straight from the freezer, and in another he pulls off a romantic moment with Anne, played Michelle Williams, with whom he has genuine chemistry. No, this isn’t a grounded, layered performance. It’s wild and weird, but for movies about sentient space-goo that wants to eat brains, I think it’s perfect.
Hardy also does the voice of Venom, a fact that I can scarcely believe (Check out this wonderful interview clip where he goes into detail on how he forms the voice). In the public consciousness, Venom is that creepy, toothy Spider-Man villain, but it wasn’t until 2018’s Venom that I discovered just how funny the character could be, too. Hardy imbues the symbiote with such personality and life, which makes their bonkers relationship feel oddly real.
I’ll give the critics this: Venom takes a bit too long to get going and Jenny Slate feels miscast in her role as a Life Foundation scientist. But I’m not claiming these to be perfect movies. Yes, they’re flawed, but they’re earnest and kinetic in a way that endears me to them. The first movie has an honestly really great motorbike/car chase scene that uses Venom’s powers in a fun way that’s good for some cheap adrenaline, and the second movie has a scene where Venom goes clubbing. You just can’t make me hate this stuff.
Natural Born Killer
Another example of this kind of untempered energy is Woody Harrelson in the villain role in Let There Be Carnage. Riz Ahmed as the CEO antagonist of the first movie was fine, but he never came close to matching Hardy’s energy. Harrelson, on the other hand, plays the serial killer Cletus Kasady in yet another wild performance for the series.
The way Cletus gains his own symbiote called Carnage is contrived as hell—he bites Eddie for no real reason when he’s being interviewed by him which somehow gives him a new, different symbiote? Sure, fine, whatever—but it really doesn’t matter. If you’re shouting down Venom: Let There Be Carnage because something doesn’t make sense, then you’ve already lost.
Cletus is in love with an unhinged woman called Frances (Naomi Harris) with unexplained sound-based superpowers that he knows from his days in an asylum for the criminally insane. Together, they ham it up; their wild and overblown romance counterpointed by Brock’s love for Anne, now his ex-fiancée. Brock and Venom also ‘break up’ which leads to some good bits.
It’s not Shakespeare, but what can I say? It’s silly fun that’s knowingly made and makes the part of me that likes Loony Tunes laugh.
King in Black
Venom cuts to credits with an original song by Eminem titled, of course, ‘Venom.’ Marshall’s lyrics are, of course, borderline indecipherable and typically self-obsessed, but let me select a portion of the song for your reading enjoyment.
“I latch onto you like a parasite
And I probably ruined your parents' life
And your childhood too
'Cause if I'm the music that y'all grew up on
I'm responsible for you ****** fools
I'm the super villain Dad and Mom was losin' their marbles to
You marvel that? Eddie Brock is you
And I'm the suit, so call me
Venom”
Poetry, no? Eminem being chosen to write a rap for a Venom movie sounds like the wet dream of a very specific 90's teenager. It's corny to the point of satire and a part of me will always believe that this was done tongue-in-cheek, even if nobody involved with the movie would ever admit it.
It just fits the vibe of the movie too perfectly. To be clear, I enjoy Eminem’s hits as much as the next white boy, but there is something extremely uncool about a guy rapping about how cool he was a few decades ago.
It’s like how Eddie Brock is—as Venom likes to call him—a loser. He can wear biker jackets and have easy rapport with the security guy at his work, but he also got Anne fired from her job and lives with a pair of chickens named Sonny and Cher.
It’s like for as how edgy and scary as Venom looks, he’s a whiny, insecure asshole, and despite how the ‘Venom’ movies look like they’re trying to fit into the superhero film mould, they’re just too weird and ungainly to sit right with the majority of audiences.
Latter-day Eminem has his fans. Of course he does. He always will. So will latter-day superhero movies. Neither will likely see the level of success they both once knew, but that’s okay. So long as Eminem is okay with making records for his forty-year-old fans, and so long as Sony is okay with making Venom movies for me, nobody has to get hurt.
Now, get out of here and spread the word:
It's okay to like the Venom movies.
Thanks for reading my review. If you liked it, consider checking out my wishlist or buying me a cup of coffee at https://ko-fi.com/kieranobrien or below.
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