Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) Review

 "Let there be Carnage!"

-Carnage

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) has the opportunity to interview infamous serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson).  After Cletus bites Eddie, a small bit of Venom (Tom Hardy) attaches itself to Cletus and becomes Carnage (Woody Harrelson).  When Carnage breaks loose and starts killing anyone who gets in their way, it's up to a bickering Eddie and Brock to come together and end the slaughter.

There will be some spoilers below.  There's too much to talk about without giving stuff away.  This ended up being a fun movie.  Not a great movie, but a fun one, and it's far superior to the first.  SPOILERS BELOW!!!

What Works:

Probably the best part of the first movie was the relationship between Eddie and Venom and that continues to be the case here.  The two are basically a sitcom at this point and the crux of the movie is about the two of them breaking up and getting back together.  It's a very strange love story, but I'm here for it.  It's certainly unique and provides some of the funniest moments of the movie.

Tom Hardy does a great job across the board.  He really gives two bonkers performances.  Venom is obvious, but Eddie Brock continues to be anything but a dull protagonist.  Hardy adds some serious quirks to the character and makes the role memorable.

Woody Harrelson is fantastic as both Cletus and Carnage.  He gets to play two awesome villains, who I have been excited to see on screen for years.  Harrelson does not disappoint as he dials the ham factor up to 11.  What surprised me is that he isn't just a walking wrecking ball.  He has a clear goal and motivation, but will destroy anything that gets in his way.  He's definitely a better antagonist that those from the 1st movie.

The situation between Eddie and Venom is insane, to put it mildly, but those two characters are pretty used to their situation.  It's nice to have characters like Anne (Michelle Williams) and Dan (Reid Scott) around to remind us about how strange this is.  It adds comedy to the situation and gives the audience some extra perspective.

Finally, the resolution to this movie and the setup for the next are both fantastic.  At the end of a lot of superhero movies, things pretty much go back to normal.  It's nice to see that there are ramifications to this one as Eddie and Venom have to go on the run.  Plus introducing them into the multiverse is incredibly exciting and I am anxious to see what they do with that development.

What Sucks:

This is a very funny movie, but not all of the humor works.  Some of the dialogue, especially from Venom, falls flat and just isn't very funny at times.

This movie is about 90 minutes long.  That's quick for a superhero movie.  I feel like this one could have been a little longer.  It felt a bit rushed to get from scene to scene.  I think a few more pieces here and there could have made the movie tighter.

Finally, on the same note, Cletus, Carnage, and Shriek (Naomie Harris) all could have used a bit more screen-time.  Cletus just so we can see more of Woody Harrelson in action, but Carnage and Shriek could have used more development for their goals, motivation, and overall character.  The movie doesn't need to be two hours long, but a few more scenes would have been helpful.

Verdict:

This sequel is far superior to the first movie in every way.  We get more of Eddie and Venom, better comedy, and a far superior villain.  Not all of the comedy works and the movie could have been a bit longer, but it's a fun watch and worth seeing.

 7/10: Good