Warning: major spoilers below!
Though perhaps somewhat of an underdog in the Marvel comics universe, Venom has longtime been a highly cherished character, who appeared predominantly in the Spider-Man comics, especially to die-hard fans. For those of us who aren’t as much into the comic books, you might remember the titular amorphous alien symbiote from the film Spider-Man 3 back in 2007, absorbing itself first into Peter Parker’s spider suit, and later into the character journalist Eddie Brock. Essentially, the concept of the alien symbiote is that it takes on hosts; giving its host immense power but simultaneously (and sinisterly) taking over the host’s body and, to a certain extent, mind. (Honestly, I can’t go too much further into the origins of the character/being, because I haven’t read any of the original comics and don’t know the history or progression of Venom. For a better introspection of the character throughout the years, check out this cool Vox article).
Needless to say, the announcement of the film adaptation starring Tom Hardy was an exciting one for many, whether it was those who caught a quick but intriguing glimpse in Spider-Man 3 or those who have been avidly following the character in the comics.
However, before the film even released in theatres, there were already an influx of critics reviews noting what a flop the movie was – ultimately characterizing it as a campy, confused genre, disappointing adaptation. So naturally, it was disappointing to hear this before the movie had come out; and perhaps just as naturally, it’s amazing just how much we believe movie critics before watching films for ourselves.
It wasn’t until one of my best friends convinced me – after watching it themselves – what a surprisingly good film it was. Of course, I didn’t believe a word of this, because how could all the critics and reviews that were quickly flooding in after its release be wrong? However, I was still intrigued by my friend’s reflection on the film as being shockingly delightful, knowing that they are a trusted source when it comes to good media. So last night, I watched Venom in theatres; I went in and sat down with absolutely zero expectations for the film, in fact, expecting worse better than good.
And guess what? I actually really enjoyed it. The thing is, it did live up to all the things that critics were saying, of it being campy, outrageous, a bit confusing genre-wise, and perhaps disjointed from the way it was advertised (more like a thriller or horror based film, when in reality it was actually more along the lines of dark comedy and action). However, somehow these things all worked together in a positive way, which is still a bit baffling to me.
Even through some of the glaring plot holes and discrepancies – like Venom suddenly going from using Eddie to achieve total Earth annihilation to being on his and humanity’s side at the drop of a hat; or the symbiote failing to bond to almost every human successfully for the first three quarters of the film and then suddenly bonding to multiple characters without harm; or even Tom Hardy’s strange and sometimes faltering accent – these components all came together and somehow, shockingly, against all odds achieved, dare I say it? Symbiosis.
One aspect that I really enjoyed was that, though there were definitely some gruesome and legitimately scary moments (the latter of which were mostly achieved through Riz Ahmed’s antagonist Carlton Drake, a character with a chilling god complex unlike any other), it didn’t take itself too seriously. It was unafraid to be darkly funny and frankly corny, embracing the outrageousness with open arms rather than trying to haphazardly hide it. When Venom bonds with Eddie, the symbiote actually becomes less of a sinister presence than most of us would have imagined and becomes strangely endearing, alongside being legitimately hilarious. The film makes it so that we are still a little bit terrified of this superhuman extraterrestrial being that bites humans’ heads off to sustain itself, but also, we’re weirdly totally rooting for him.
Another good point that multiple friends have now brought up to me, is that if it weren’t Tom Hardy in the role of Eddie Brock, it likely wouldn’t have been as good a movie. Because let’s face it, despite Tom Hardy’s Eddie being an absolute goober, and though it sometimes seems like Hardy is playing the character non-seriously, even Tom Hardy at his worst would still be pretty great. Because regardless of whether he was putting less effort into this role or not, he’s still an acclaimed actor who takes his craft seriously. He’s taken on several amazing roles in the past, so I didn’t really expect any less from him this time around. In fact, it’s a pretty all star cast when it comes to having selected talented actors, as opposed to just utilizing pure star power. In addition to Hardy we have Riz Ahmed, Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate, and let’s not forget the secret scene after the credits that introduce the character Carnage, played by Woody Harrelson. All in all, it’s likely that had a different cast been chosen, it might not have been so successful a film. All of these actors knew how to play their role, no matter how outrageous or corny, because they’re just really darn good at what they do.
I could honestly go on and on, but what’s most important is that I left the theatre actually feeling so pleasantly surprised by what I’d just watched that I kept remembering more details long after watching it. Is it an amazingly well-written, award worthy script? No, not really by any means. But was it executed well? Absolutely. And quite honestly, films like these ones seem to be acutely self-aware, which is something I always appreciate. It is quite literally a movie that laughs with itself. The scene where Venom sneaks into the body of a peppy Pomeranian to get to Eddie is absolutely ridiculous and hilarious, and I can guarantee it was planned to have exactly that effect. When Venom first shows his appearance to Eddie in his bathroom mirror, Eddie lets out a high pitched scream and falls back into his bathtub comically, rather than keeping the tone as terrifying as it could have been. Annie, Eddie’s ex, has a surprisingly nice new boyfriend that doesn’t seem threatened by Eddie at all, rather tries to help him throughout the entire movie and practically kills him with kindness. And lest we forget the moment that Venom chooses to bond with Annie, gets Annie to make out with Eddie steamily in the forest, so that Venom can bond back with Eddie. Moments like these ones catch audience members off guard in a refreshing way, making Venom a movie to remember.
Of course, I know my opinion will not be shared by many moviegoers who watch this film. However, Venom definitely made me realize that it’s always worth it to create your own opinion about something – no matter how many critics, professionals, or people will try to convince you otherwise. Don’t be afraid to challenge others’ opinions, even if they try to intimidate you with their knowledge. Because that’s the beauty of art, be it visual, written, film, or otherwise: it is all subjective. Perhaps it seems obvious to remember not to conform to something before you’ve made an informed opinion about it, but hey: it’s always nice to get a little reminder.
~ Z ~
Photo by Ivan Vranic on Unsplash
