Venom: The Last Dance

It’s actually pretty good when it’s trying to be funny. When it’s trying to be a straight action flick...it’s fairly standard action fare. Conclusion: the whole story arc probably should have leaned much more heavily on the comedy all the way through, instead of in just patches. But then again, I suppose hybridization is the point of the series. And after all, if we’re feeling generous, there is a certain amount of pathos in Eddie and Venom's putative final go-round—if it really comes to that (I have suspicions). Nevertheless, it must be said, there’s never any particular sense of stakes in this story...or anywhere in the series, if we’re being honest and looking at the big picture. And indeed, one strength here is that the picture isn’t actually that big; the running time is just around an hour and a half (brevity has been a strength of this franchise offshoot from the start). So, all in all, this movie is the usual mixed bag, as were its predecessors—no work of genius, but a perfectly serviceable piece of entertainment. It won’t actually get inside you, but at least that means it won’t eat your brain, either. You take what you can get. 

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Did you know that the human body is home to a whole environment of bacteria and other organisms as a matter of its regular bio processes? I note this here to assure you, reader, that I enter into this review without any particular biases against symbiotic organisms that would affect my judgment of this film and its characters. So, there’s that in its favor. Also in the movie’s favor is a mildly funny script that keeps things moving while delivering just enough solid wisecracks—mostly in the voice of Venom the symbiotic alien—to push the proceedings up just high enough to merit a recommendation, if not a particular rave. Tom Hardy is fine as the much put-upon Eddie, Woody Harrelson performs solid if not spectacular work as the antagonist, while the women and minor supporting cast provide adequate effort in filling out the scenes. Mostly, this flick is about the gooey guys underneath, and the CGI star mostly makes the movie an entertaining experience, if a bit light on any feeling of real consequences. You do get the sense, though, that this story, even with its already jokey and unserious attitude, still missed a lot of opportunities to score some major points with even more outrageous humor and/or visuals. Still, it’s better than it might have been, especially as a sequel to a movie about a relatively minor character in the overarching universe. This one’s hardly a classic, but if you’re in the mood for a decent film with a relatively brief running time—at an hour and a half, it gets in and gets out before it ever has a chance to get tedious—this flick checks the boxes.

Young Woman and the Sea

Let me spoil the drama for you: she makes it, eventually. That’s not really much of a spoiler, since Gertrude Ederle accomplished her famous swimming feat a hundred years ago; only the most historically ignorant will go in not knowing the outcome. So any suspense in this film must come from the journey to the moment of triumph. Really, though, there are no surprises here—it’s all very standard sports biopic stuff. There’s humble beginnings, family conflict, obstacles and doubts, allies and enemies, and ultimate success—all the beats you expect from this kind of movie. So why, then, does this seemingly run of the mill flick merit its positive purr? Two reasons: one, the extraordinary nature of Ederle‘s achievement (and its echoing legacy throughout the years and right up to this day in women’s sports); and two, the uplifting presence of daisy Ridley, who seems positioned to corner the market on the “heroic young woman” genre. She captures the essence of her character’s spirit, of the determination that helped her overcome long odds, cruel nature and social rigidity. It all makes for a great story. Dive in on this movie—your viewing experience will indeed go swimmingly.