Reluctantly accepting his fate, Eddie Brock tries to co-exist with Venom. However, it’s a rocky relationship, to say the least. Brock also attempts to revive his career by interviewing Cletus Kasady, a serial killer who doesn’t trust anyone else. But things go wrong when Cletus also gets infected with a deadly and bloodthirsty symbiote. Brock must quickly find a way to work with Venom and deal with the Carnage brought on by Kasady.
Although the plot is pretty straightforward for a comic-book flick, the banter between Brock and Venom is often the film’s most fascinating element. Brock is constantly trying to quench Venom’s thirst for, well, HUMANS! leading to some amusing exchanges – even if the humour doesn’t land always.
Nevertheless, Tom Hardy’s performance with the CGI character carries the film through some rough patches. Like Hardy, Woody Harrelson fully embraces the film’s quirky, often absurd tonality and certainly enjoys playing the antagonist. Together, they make some of the apparent plot holes easier to ignore.
Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), Francis Barrison (Naomie Harris) and Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham). They have potentially intriguing roles but don’t get much development beyond some hasty plot beats and they end up being the story’s weakest links. In addition, the editing is shady in places, indicative of significant trimming, perhaps the right decision.
The action is easy to follow and looks great in 3D without being overbearing. While the film meets the basic requirements for comic-book movie enjoyment, its most essential sequence is the post-credit scene that raises the bar for the Venom character.
Not only does it change the scope for where he and Eddie Brock will show up next, but it also makes this problematic yet oddly entertaining sequel more than worthwhile.
