Venom The Official Rate & Review Venom Thread (SPOILERS!!!)

[ludovica]

I don’t know, Fleischer seems to have a wacky, out there performance in all of his movies, think Woody in Zombieland and Sean Penn in Gansgter Squad. This seemed no different to any other Fleischer movie in that regard. To me at least.

Well, you definitely have a point there.

 

[def28]

Just got out of this. Felt like an 80's horror midnight flick mixed with a dumb but fun 90's action film. Both of which I enjoy, so I had fun at this. It didn't piss me off like say Suicide Squad or X-Men Apocalypse. Really expected far worse with what online critics were saying. Even regarding some of these more out there choices that have been singled out review by review.

While I think this would have been great to see R, I get why they went with the PG-13. The theatre was sold out, full of kids and even got a round of applause. This is gonna play really well with a young audience who are just going to see some wacky monster stuff.

If you get a kick out of B movies, I'd say definitely check this out. If you can't get over Spidey not being associated or it not trying to be a top tier Marvel flick, probably not the movie for you to see.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

As much as I have been down on this movie over the last couple of months I can honestly say I didn't hate it. I wouldn't call it good, but I also wouldn't compare it to bottom of the barrel crap like Catwoman or Elektra either. I was at least entertained for the most part while watching this even though it takes forever for Venom to actually show up. I think Hardy gave a pretty good performance, and I enjoyed some of the back and forth between him and Venom, but the writing/dialogue is atrocious the majority of the time. The script is a mess and it shows, because there are barely any characters in this movie with Michelle Williams being completely wasted and Riz Ahmed being a worthless, lame excuse of a villain. The action sequences were bland as hell to me too, and I couldn't tell you what was going on in that end fight.

Also, are they serious with that post credit scene lmao? There is no way I'm going to able to take Woody Harrelson seriously in that horrible red wig as Carnage.

6/10

 

[DoomRulz]

Venom isn't exactly "a turd in the wind" but it's not where it should have been. I was entertained but only because Tom Hardy was brilliant, as expected. The villain was blah, the relationship between Eddie and Annie (oh geez, just say that out loud) was as shallow as a kiddie pool, and the final fight was the worst one I've seen in years. That editor deserves to be shot. Oh, and the mid-credits scene sucked. It was so in-your-face that I almost threw up.

 

[Mr.T]

I liked it, my wife liked it, and my kids loved it. Especially, my son. All of it’s flaws have been stated over and over in this thread, so I won’t be saying anything new. Typical pacing and story issues. Hardy was great and Venom looked cool as hell. I’m definitely looking forward to a sequel.

6/10

 

[Lantern Venom]

So it finally came: the day that my favorite Marvel character got his just due on the big screen. No, it wasn’t perfect, but the film is certainly in my top 10 CBMs. It's in the 9/10 or 9.5/10 range. Yes, it was that good. I never thought that I would feel thankful to Sony after Venom was gutted in 2007, but here we are. I’d even give nutty ol’ l Amy Pascal a pat on the back if I saw her.


There were a few aspects that didn’t work, and the most significant one was via omission. Eddie was clearly a morally complex guy in this, but there were no allusions to his childhood making him that way. I would have been fine with a few negative comments from Eddie about Carl Brock being a distant, cold father. That would have lent itself well to Eddie taking a shortcut to get inside information on the Life Foundation. He clearly had a shortfall in his sense of self-worth to take a gamble that cost him his relationship and job. I still liked how all of that played out.

The only two other issues of which I can currently think are ones of minor aesthetics. First, the symbiotes melding into their hosts wasn’t the optimal way to go. In the comics, we often see them engulfing hosts or plunging into them via looping, stabbing arcs. Secondly, Tom Hardy has gotten a little leaner (this is likely due to his new quasi-vegan diet) and I would have preferred him more at the Bane size of 2012. However, we saw weights in his apartment and we were treated to his hilarious attempt to meditate, so these were by no means stumbling blocks to the plot.


As for what worked, where do I begin? The obvious answer is Tom Hardy, who gave one of the most layered, well-rounded performances in CBM history. In the same way that Snipes is Blade, Evans in Captain America, and Boseman is T’Challa, Tom Hardy became Eddie Brock. He was all of the things that I’ve come to adore about the character: darkly humorous, fanatical, morally complicated, riddled with self-doubt, and brave in the most dire moments. The theater in which I saw the film erupted in applause when the credits began (and applause began at second time when Harrelson said the word “carnage”) and Hardy was clearly the catalyst behind the audience’s reaction.


I was floored by how perfect the Venom symbiote was. We couldn’t have asked for more. The CGI was stunning, and its personality was spot-on. The film explored the tumultuous relationship between Eddie and his Other, which is why we laid out our money. The writers knew the comics well, because the plot addressed the symbiote being an outcast ( via the “On my planet, I’m a loser too") and having a different moral code than its fellow aliens. Bravo, Sony. And the kiss between She-Venom and Eddie was equally touching and gross. It was glorious. Then came the moment when the symbiote told Eddie to apologize to Anne since he might not survive the coming conflict. That was a very tender moment, which was something that I didn’t expect from a movie about a brain-slurping monster.

The handling of Anne Weying was also very well done. The dynamic between she and Eddie was original in terms of what we’ve seen from love interests in CBMs. I liked the homage to the Amazing Spider-man #375 where Anne finally broke though Eddie’s wall of displaced anger and made him understand that his choices were the root of his problems. Nonetheless, she was still willing to help Eddie even though she was clearly trying to move on from their relationship. That was a departure from the usual love interest formula. That and the outstanding performance by Michelle Williams made the character stand out.

Along those same lines, Riz Ahmed is also to be commended. He was able to capture the class prejudice and hubris of the Life Foundation from the comics. He made a fitting contrast to Eddie’s gonzo antics and impulsive decisions. Drake wasn’t the usual evil authority figure hiding a lunatic side of himself. He was frightfully assured of every step that he took. To make a anti-hero work, he/she needs a really, a genuine baddie to overcome. We certainly had one here.

Some of my other favorite moments:

*Eddie climbing into the tank of water and devouring the lobster. The theater was cracking up when this happened, as was I.

*When the symbiote said that it wanted “tater tots and chocolate.” That was a nod to “The Hunger”, which was a sweet Venom mini.

*The line, “Let’s bite off all of their heads and pile them up in the corner.”

*Likewise, “That thing (referring to the dog) looks delicious.”

*The Stan Lee cameo stamp of approval.

*Eddie and Cletus coming face-to-face.

I’m sure that I’ll have more thoughts in the days and weeks to come, but as for all of the critics who gave the film bad reviews, all of the silly Gaga fans who tried to sabotage the film, and all of the doubters who said that no one would ever see a film about Venom without Spider-man, this is what the Lethal Protector just did to all of you:

SNAP!

 

[ludovica]

So it finally came: the day that my favorite Marvel character got his just due on the big screen. No, it wasn’t perfect, but the film is certainly in my top 10 CBMs. It's in the 9/10 or 9.5/10 range.

Really happy for you!

To the hyper critical ones, that's the reason this movie should exist: if it can give some people so much joy, it is a good thing.
This movie existing does not impede anyone from enjoying other things.

 

[Lantern Venom]

Really happy for you!

To the hyper critical ones, that's the reason this movie should exist: if it can give some people so much joy, it is a good thing.
This movie existing does not impede anyone from enjoying other things.

Thanks, dude. Just like when people have different reactions to comics, viewers have different takes on CBMs. Even the most popular runs of comics have their critics, so I'm not surprised that this film is divisive. However, Sony got some feedback from potential audiences somewhere, and there is clearly a market for this type of film.

 

[Aximili86]

So it finally came: the day that my favorite Marvel character got his just due on the big screen. No, it wasn’t perfect, but the film is certainly in my top 10 CBMs. It's in the 9/10 or 9.5/10 range. Yes, it was that good. I never thought that I would feel thankful to Sony after Venom was gutted in 2007, but here we are. I’d even give nutty ol’ l Amy Pascal a pat on the back if I saw her.


There were a few aspects that didn’t work, and the most significant one was via omission. Eddie was clearly a morally complex guy in this, but there were no allusions to his childhood making him that way. I would have been fine with a few negative comments from Eddie about Carl Brock being a distant, cold father. That would have lent itself well to Eddie taking a shortcut to get inside information on the Life Foundation. He clearly had a shortfall in his sense of self-worth to take a gamble that cost him his relationship and job. I still liked how all of that played out.

The only two other issues of which I can currently think are ones of minor aesthetics. First, the symbiotes melding into their hosts wasn’t the optimal way to go. In the comics, we often see them engulfing hosts or plunging into them via looping, stabbing arcs. Secondly, Tom Hardy has gotten a little leaner (this is likely due to his new quasi-vegan diet) and I would have preferred him more at the Bane size of 2012. However, we saw weights in his apartment and we were treated to his hilarious attempt to meditate, so these were by no means stumbling blocks to the plot.


As for what worked, where do I begin? The obvious answer is Tom Hardy, who gave one of the most layered, well-rounded performances in CBM history. In the same way that Snipes is Blade, Evans in Captain America, and Boseman is T’Challa, Tom Hardy became Eddie Brock. He was all of the things that I’ve come to adore about the character: darkly humorous, fanatical, morally complicated, riddled with self-doubt, and brave in the most dire moments. The theater in which I saw the film erupted in applause when the credits began (and applause began at second time when Harrelson said the word “carnage”) and Hardy was clearly the catalyst behind the audience’s reaction.


I was floored by how perfect the Venom symbiote was. We couldn’t have asked for more. The CGI was stunning, and its personality was spot-on. The film explored the tumultuous relationship between Eddie and his Other, which is why we laid out our money. One of more of the writers knew the comics well, because the plot addressed the symbiote being an outcast ( via the “On my planet, I’m a loser too") and having a different moral code that its fellow aliens. Bravo, Sony. And the kiss between She-Venom and Eddie was equally touching and gross. It was glorious. Then came the moment when the symbiote told Eddie to apologize to Anne since he might not survive the coming conflict. That was a very tender moment, which was something that I didn’t expect from a movie about a brain-slurping monster.

The handling of Anne Weying was also very well done. The dynamic between she and Eddie was original in terms of what we’ve seen from love interests in CBMs. I liked the homage to the Amazing Spider-man #375 where Anne finally broke though Eddie’s wall of displaced anger and made him understand that his choices were the root of his problems. Nonetheless, she was still willing to help Eddie even though she was clearly trying to move on from their relationship. That was a departure from the usual love interest formula. That and the outstanding performance by Michelle Williams made the character stand out.

Along those same lines, Riz Ahmed is also to be commended. He was able to capture the class prejudice and hubris of the Life Foundation from the comics. He made a fitting contrast to Eddie’s gonzo antics and impulsive decisions. Drake wasn’t the usual evil authority figure hiding a lunatic side of himself. He was frightfully assured of every step that he took. To make a anti-hero work, he/she needs a really, a genuine baddie to overcome. We certainly had one here.

Some of my other favorite moments:

*Eddie climbing into the tank of water and devouring the lobster. The theater was cracking up when this happened, as was I.

*When the symbiote said that it wanted “tater tots and chocolate.” That was a nod to “The Hunger”, which was a sweet Venom mini.

*The line, “Let’s bite off all of their heads and pile them up in the corner.”

*Likewise, “That thing (referring to the dog) looks delicious.”

*The Stan Lee cameo stamp of approval.

*Eddie and Cletus coming face-to-face.

I’m sure that I’ll have more thoughts in the days and weeks to come, but as for all of the critics who gave the film bad reviews, all of the silly Gaga fans who tried to sabotage the film, and all of the doubters who said that no one would ever see a film about Venom without Spider-man, this is what the Lethal Protector just did to all of you:

SNAP!

I hate you.

 

[Lantern Venom]

I hate you.

You might want to avoid me when we near the Bluray release. I'm going to be like:

 

[The Slang]

So it finally came: the day that my favorite Marvel character got his just due on the big screen. No, it wasn’t perfect, but the film is certainly in my top 10 CBMs. It's in the 9/10 or 9.5/10 range. Yes, it was that good. I never thought that I would feel thankful to Sony after Venom was gutted in 2007, but here we are. I’d even give nutty ol’ l Amy Pascal a pat on the back if I saw her.


There were a few aspects that didn’t work, and the most significant one was via omission. Eddie was clearly a morally complex guy in this, but there were no allusions to his childhood making him that way. I would have been fine with a few negative comments from Eddie about Carl Brock being a distant, cold father. That would have lent itself well to Eddie taking a shortcut to get inside information on the Life Foundation. He clearly had a shortfall in his sense of self-worth to take a gamble that cost him his relationship and job. I still liked how all of that played out.

The only two other issues of which I can currently think are ones of minor aesthetics. First, the symbiotes melding into their hosts wasn’t the optimal way to go. In the comics, we often see them engulfing hosts or plunging into them via looping, stabbing arcs. Secondly, Tom Hardy has gotten a little leaner (this is likely due to his new quasi-vegan diet) and I would have preferred him more at the Bane size of 2012. However, we saw weights in his apartment and we were treated to his hilarious attempt to meditate, so these were by no means stumbling blocks to the plot.


As for what worked, where do I begin? The obvious answer is Tom Hardy, who gave one of the most layered, well-rounded performances in CBM history. In the same way that Snipes is Blade, Evans in Captain America, and Boseman is T’Challa, Tom Hardy became Eddie Brock. He was all of the things that I’ve come to adore about the character: darkly humorous, fanatical, morally complicated, riddled with self-doubt, and brave in the most dire moments. The theater in which I saw the film erupted in applause when the credits began (and applause began at second time when Harrelson said the word “carnage”) and Hardy was clearly the catalyst behind the audience’s reaction.


I was floored by how perfect the Venom symbiote was. We couldn’t have asked for more. The CGI was stunning, and its personality was spot-on. The film explored the tumultuous relationship between Eddie and his Other, which is why we laid out our money. One of more of the writers knew the comics well, because the plot addressed the symbiote being an outcast ( via the “On my planet, I’m a loser too") and having a different moral code that its fellow aliens. Bravo, Sony. And the kiss between She-Venom and Eddie was equally touching and gross. It was glorious. Then came the moment when the symbiote told Eddie to apologize to Anne since he might not survive the coming conflict. That was a very tender moment, which was something that I didn’t expect from a movie about a brain-slurping monster.

The handling of Anne Weying was also very well done. The dynamic between she and Eddie was original in terms of what we’ve seen from love interests in CBMs. I liked the homage to the Amazing Spider-man #375 where Anne finally broke though Eddie’s wall of displaced anger and made him understand that his choices were the root of his problems. Nonetheless, she was still willing to help Eddie even though she was clearly trying to move on from their relationship. That was a departure from the usual love interest formula. That and the outstanding performance by Michelle Williams made the character stand out.

Along those same lines, Riz Ahmed is also to be commended. He was able to capture the class prejudice and hubris of the Life Foundation from the comics. He made a fitting contrast to Eddie’s gonzo antics and impulsive decisions. Drake wasn’t the usual evil authority figure hiding a lunatic side of himself. He was frightfully assured of every step that he took. To make a anti-hero work, he/she needs a really, a genuine baddie to overcome. We certainly had one here.

Some of my other favorite moments:

*Eddie climbing into the tank of water and devouring the lobster. The theater was cracking up when this happened, as was I.

*When the symbiote said that it wanted “tater tots and chocolate.” That was a nod to “The Hunger”, which was a sweet Venom mini.

*The line, “Let’s bite off all of their heads and pile them up in the corner.”

*Likewise, “That thing (referring to the dog) looks delicious.”

*The Stan Lee cameo stamp of approval.

*Eddie and Cletus coming face-to-face.

I’m sure that I’ll have more thoughts in the days and weeks to come, but as for all of the critics who gave the film bad reviews, all of the silly Gaga fans who tried to sabotage the film, and all of the doubters who said that no one would ever see a film about Venom without Spider-man, this is what the Lethal Protector just did to all of you:

SNAP!

I understand that you liked the movie, but are you suggesting that this depiction of Eddie Brock (or the symbiote) was actually faithful to the source material? Because I'd strongly disagree.

In the books, Venom is Eddie Brock, or at least a combination of Eddie and the symbiote. In the movie, Venom is the symbiote. It's even named Venom before it meets Brock. Eddie is just this bumbling, anxious, comedy relief character being forced to submit to the symbiote's will. The symbiote was just working him like a puppet most of the movie. The entire Venom persona belonged solely to the symbiote, it would have been venom with or without Eddie Brock.

 

[terry78]

I always appreciate someone that has passion like that. I wasn't as enamored with it but it was fun like i said.

 

[harlequinade]

7/10. Had so many flaws but I'll rewatch it so many times and I had a great time

 

[Lantern Venom]

I understand that you liked the movie, but are you suggesting that this depiction of Eddie Brock (or the symbiote) was actually faithful to the source material? Because I'd strongly disagree.

In the most important ways, the film kept the adaptation faithful. Eddie is a bizarre, hot mess who inhabits the underbelly of the world. The symbiote is an outcast from an ancient, powerful race. They come to understand that they complete on another and, in some strange way, "love" one another.

 

[ehh]

I really don't know what to say about this movie because it is BAD. It's not Josh Trank FANT4STIC level bad, but it's not something I ever want to cross over with Spider-Man.

Venom is somewhat entertaining and hilarious, but I think the funny moments were intended to be taken seriously. I swear, throughout the entire film, Tom Hardy sounded really stoned whenever he spoke. "uh... the rocket ship... it goes to space and we go there, you know." He didn't say that line verbatim, but I can't remember most of the lines in this movie anyway. This is the kind of movie I would recommend as a drinking game in the same vein as The Room or Troll 2.

At the moment, it looks like critics hate the film, but for whatever reason, this movie is getting some very positive ratings from audiences. That tells me that this has a chance at spawning a sequel, unfortunately.

I give Venom 4 out of 10 turds in the wind.

 

[The Slang]

In the most important ways, the film kept the adaptation faithful. Eddie is a bizarre, hot mess who inhabits the underbelly of the world. The symbiote is an outcast from an ancient, powerful race. They come to understand that they complete on another and, in some strange way, "love" one another.

Come on. Other than being a reporter named Eddie Brock, this character had nothing in common with Brock from the comics. If you like this version, that's fine, but you should just admit that and not pretend that it was faithful.

Yes, the symbiote was 'a loser' on its planet, which is slightly similar to the comic, where the symbiote was a banished outcast. I did think that was a nice touch.

 

[CharlesSickens]

I understand that you liked the movie, but are you suggesting that this depiction of Eddie Brock (or the symbiote) was actually faithful to the source material? Because I'd strongly disagree.

In the books, Venom is Eddie Brock, or at least a combination of Eddie and the symbiote. In the movie, Venom is the symbiote. It's even named Venom before it meets Brock. Eddie is just this bumbling, anxious, comedy relief character being forced to submit to the symbiote's will. The symbiote was just working him like a puppet most of the movie. The entire Venom persona belonged solely to the symbiote, it would have been venom with or without Eddie Brock.

To be fair, Eddie is shown as a competent and confident, albeit reckless, guy at the beginning of the film who then degenerates into a nervous loser after 6 months+ of drowning his sorrows so I don't agree that he's just a bumbling idiot throughout the film; when he gets the symbiote he's suffering and is therefore weak and susceptible to manipulation by the symbiote.

Towards the end, when Eddie asks the symbiote what changed its mind (about leaving Earth) the symbiote replies, 'You did, Eddie' - to me that line, and others about how the view of the city is peaceful and Earth isn't so ugly after all - show that the symbiote has been altered by being attached to Eddie.

I feel like there was a fair amount of stuff like this in the movie, hinted at but not directly stated, which I really enjoyed.

Just my two cents

 

[The Slang]

To be fair, Eddie is shown as a competent and confident, albeit reckless, guy at the beginning of the film who then degenerates into a nervous loser after 6 months+ of drowning his sorrows so I don't agree that he's just a bumbling idiot throughout the film; when he gets the symbiote he's suffering and is therefore weak and susceptible to manipulation by the symbiote.

Towards the end, when Eddie asks the symbiote what changed its mind (about leaving Earth) the symbiote replies, 'You did, Eddie' - to me that line, and others about how the view of the city is peaceful and Earth isn't so ugly after all - show that the symbiote has been altered by being attached to Eddie.

I feel like there was a fair amount of stuff like this in the movie, hinted at but not directly stated, which I really enjoyed.

Just my two cents

I didn't say Brock was an idiot though, I'm saying he wasn't in control of the symbiote. He was mostly just scared and confused as the symbiote dragged him along for the ride. I always thought that Eddie Brock basically is Venom. The humor, the sense of justice, the rage, that was all Brock's personality, the symbiote just gave him the power to act out his will. In this movie, Venom is the symbiote and Brock is just a passive passenger.

 

[ehh]

I couldn't take Eddie Brock seriously as a reporter. That montage sequence of his work made him look like a YouTuber.

 

[harlequinade]

I couldn't take Eddie Brock seriously as a reporter. That montage sequence of his work made him look like a YouTuber.

Eh, he had the guts to break in somewhere, YouTubers would never

 

[ehh]

Eh, he had the guts to break in somewhere, YouTubers would never

Well, I mean, some YouTubers have been known for their controversies.

 

[Karelia]

Charlessickens- 100% agree with your post.

As someone who has read Venom comics (when he first appeared in Spider-Man, Dark Origins, Anti-Venom, etc.) I didn't mind the slight changes. Comics do it all the time. Stop faulting the movie for doing it. Making Eddie a more likeable character is a given as it's HIS movie. I understand some of the hate for this film, but some I just don't agree with.

 

[ehh]

Those slight changes were the least of the film's problems. In fact, the relationship between Eddie and the symbiote was the best part of it, in my opinion. I did enjoy seeing the two of them interact.

 

[CharlesSickens]

I didn't say Brock was an idiot though, I'm saying he wasn't in control of the symbiote. He was mostly just scared and confused as the symbiote dragged him along for the ride. I always thought that Eddie Brock basically is Venom. The humor, the sense of justice, the rage, that was all Brock's personality, the symbiote just gave him the power to act out his will. In this movie, Venom is the symbiote and Brock is just a passive passenger.

OK, I agree somewhat but the symbiote wasn't in complete control; there were multiple points throughout the second half of the movie where Brock convinced the symbiote not to do something (just) and as I mentioned, they hinted that the symbiote had been changed by being joined to Brock. By the end of the film I feel they're closer to the comics version of Venom, especially now Brock isn't hitting the booze and being depressed and therefore a vulnerable, nervous dude that the symbiote can dominate. Fingers crossed they build on that in the sequel

 

[CharlesSickens]

Charlessickens- 100% agree with your post.

As someone who has read Venom comics (when he first appeared in Spider-Man, Dark Origins, Anti-Venom, etc.) I didn't mind the slight changes. Comics do it all the time. Stop faulting the movie for doing it. Making Eddie a more likeable character is a given as it's HIS movie. I understand some of the hate for this film, but some I just don't agree with.

Thanks, I feel the same way about the changes.

They kinda had to make Brock more likeable for this kind of film, and don't get me wrong, a full villain/anti-hero Brock with deep issues relating to his past and a violent nature would be great and hopefully they'll at least touch on all that in the sequel.

The film has a lot of flaws but it's not the completely brain-dead, ill-conceived end result most were expecting IMO.