"You know what secrets want? They want out. That's why they're so hard to keep."
I was quite under the weather went I went to see this film and shortly after I returned home I entered a feverish period where the main image running around my head was symbiotes fighting. At least I will have some sort of memory of this film.
Like the first film, the biggest strength of this one is the relationship between Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and the Venom symbiote. They take the comedy much further here and there's extensive scenes of the pair talking or Eddie going about his business and Venom snarking in his head. The choice to expand on this side of things really works well and there are a handful of genuinely funny moments.
Unfortunately, every other element of the film isn't done so well. The film gives us a proper introduction to serial-killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) who ends up being bonded with a symbiote called Carnage. He sets off to kill Venom and a big CGI battle takes place. For one thing, I would have liked to see Venom have to fight something other than another symbiote. The trope of superheroes fighting villains with the same powers as them has been totally overdone.
There are plenty of issues with the way Kasady/Carnage is portrayed. Whenever I've read Carnage stories in comic book he's perhaps Marvel's darkest and most deadly character. Unfortunately the violence is toned down heavily for a film that is rated PG-13 in the US (it's a very mild 15 certificate in the UK).
As well as being hampered by the certificate, Kasady is made about as sympathetic as a serial killer possibly can be what with a background of abusive and a romantic relationship with Shriek (Naomie Harris). All of this is stuff that comes from the comic books but most of it was an expansion of the character and not in his original appearance. Carnage/Kasady should be pure evil and in an attempt to humanise him the makers of this film have watered down the character.
It really feels like the climax should build to something great but it just doesn't. The big stakes for Eddie are the fact that Carnage has Anne (Michelle Williams) in his clutches which might work if there was something of a relationship between them but there isn't- Anne has left Eddie and is in a relationship with someone else. Then there's also the fact that Shriek is present given that we are repeatedly told that sound is a weakness of the symbiotes so it doesn't take a genius to predict she will have a role in Carnage's downfall.
It feels to me like this franchise has the potential to do something great. The Eddie/Venom relationship is so strong here and Tom Hardy is great in the role but it's plot is extremely weak and what should have been a fantastic villain is just underwhelming.
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