Is Venom: Let There Be Carnage Worth Watching?

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is totally worth watching for anyone who enjoyed the first move. It is funny and action packed, although slightly shallow. The weaker plot line is makes for more of a popcorn movies than the first, and it definitely makes this a harder watch.

Summary:

Eddie and Venom are back, with a new focus. After the events of Venom, Eddie’s journalism reputation is at an all-time low, and he needs a big scoop to put himself back on the map. Cletus Kasady gives him this opportunity. With the famed serial killer only talking to Eddie, the pressure is on before the state executes Cletus. Unfortunately, before Eddie can get all of the information he needs, Cletus is sent off to be executed where, with the help of Carnage, he escapes.

Characters:

Our main characters are virtually the same as Venom with the addition of Cletus Kassidy and Frances Barrison. Cletus and Frances met in a home for unwanted children, both coming from very dark paths. Frances has developed the power to scream loud enough to cause physical damage. They have been separated for many years, and until recently, Cletus wasn’t sure she was still alive.

Austin: 9.2/10

Review:

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a really good movie, although fairly short. The hour and 37-minute movie packs a lot into a short period of time, but I thought it had a couple more glaring flaws compare to Venom. The plot isn’t all that deep, and it feels a little bit underdeveloped. I think a longer movie with more details to it would have been a lot better. The story keeps this as a really good movie instead of the really good movie it could have been. I do think the action does a great job of distracting you from the lack of a concrete storyline, but I missed a deeper narrative. 

The characters in this movie are just as good as the first one, and then we get a really good addition in the form of Cletus Kasady. Unlike Venom, this movie has a really well-defined villain with sound motivations. By the end of the movie, we know nearly everything about Cletus, and he’s the perfect villain you can almost sympathize with. When you know a villain is wrong, but you sort of understand their thoughts, that is when you know the writers have crafted a wonderful villain. You pair that writing with a scary, intense villain like Carnage, and you get something that’s a lot of fun. The animation work done on Carnage was incredible, and the cinematography added some jump scares on sound alone. I really enjoyed Carnage as our villain a lot more, even with a lacking plot around him.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a really entertaining movie, but unfortunately it gets a little bit too close to popcorn movie status for my liking. A much deeper plot would have supported our characters, both new and old, and put a lot less pressure on individual action scenes. I thought the action was still amazing, but I also felt like not a ton was accomplished when the movie was said and done. With that being mentioned, I didn’t think it felt short while I watched it. Regardless, go watch this gem with the awareness that it is only an hour and 37 minutes.

Favourite Moment (Spoilers):

When Venom eats Carnage. That’s it. It’s such a powerful moment, where we truly come full circle with the limited plot. It also closes the best fight scene in the series.

Sebastian: 8.7 / 10

Review:  

This film is a perfect follow-up to the first Venom film and I think it knows exactly how to accomplish its goal. Venom: Let there be Carnage is a short and to-the-point action superhero film that exceeds in the action and spectacle but falters in other areas. Due to a short runtime with the film only clocking in at around 1h30 the story leaves a little to be desired. With such a fast pace there are many plot threads left undeveloped or at the least underdeveloped which causes the film to feel rushed. The same goes for character development as I felt that Eddie’s and Venom’s relationship while taking centre stage didn’t actually change too much by the end of the film. Outside of our protagonists, I think only Carnage and Shriek receive some form of character arcs.  While the characters may have been a bit underdeveloped, they also happen to be one of my favourite aspects of the film because their dynamics being some of the best parts especially the constant bickering between Eddie and Venom which provides a majority of the comedy in the film.  Carnage and Cletus are great and memorable villain and Woody Harrelson really chews the scenery as the character. The action is top-notch and the final fight between Venom and Carnage is crazy and awesome finally seeing them clash after the whole film basically just being the build-up. Sometimes this film could lean into the goofy and cheesy elements a bit too much but at the same time, I’m fine with this film going that direction and leaning into the goofiness and making it just a fun time.

All in all, this is a really fun action movie that I enjoyed more than the first and would enjoy seeing a second time. It’s not the biggest or most dramatic superhero movie but I recommend it as it is definitely a good time. Head on over to a theatre and check it out

Favourite Moment (Spoilers): 

It’s a tie between the final fight between Venom and Carnage or it’s the post-credit scene where we find out that Venom has been transported to the MCU as he sees Tom Holland’s Spider-Man on a tv screen.