VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE

1 out of 5 stars

One week before seeing Venom: Let There be Carnage, I was in New York City for the revival of Little Shop of Horrors. That musical is a retelling of Faust, where a man-eating plant named Audrey II makes a schlemiel named Seymour do his evil bidding in exchange for fame and the love of his coworker, Audrey.

It was perhaps because this was so fresh in my mind that I saw striking similarities in Venom ; both are about an alien entity possessing a loser in some way, who eventually gives in to the whims of that demonic force. 

Only in the case of Venom, there's no singing and dancing, which would make any movie better.

There's not much to recommend this latest Marvel-ish spin-off. I say "ish" because it's not part of the canon, I guess, like the Disney Marvel movies. Whatever. As far as I'm concerned (which isn't much), it's a Marvel movie, and it just proves how much the pendulum can swing from great to despicable so quickly.

Speaking of despicable, this new Venom does something that I'm really tired of seeing; like Gru in the Despicable Me movies, Venom here is sort of a nice guy. Why are we making movies about villains in which they become redeemed? Let us not forget, that Venom was a dark alter-ego to Spider-man in the comics, and even in the first movie, he was still quite bad. But in the sequel, he is the comic relief, who goes on to beat up other bad guys. Call him an extraterrestrial Dexter, if you will. If I want antiheroes, I will watch Breaking Bad or The Sopranos. The real conflict here should have been between Eddie Brock (played by Tom Hardy who looks as uncomfortable doing a faux-American accent...I guess...as we do listening to it), and Venom. 

Woody Harrelson, therefore, who plays Carnage (an even meaner Venom, I suppose, although Venom is now a good guy pretty much) should have been the one who adds the levity. Even so, there's way too much; we don't need a scene of Venom making Brock breakfast, or pleading with him for human brains (see? Little Shop all the way). People go to Marvel or Marvel-ish movies for action, a few clever quips, and a clear delineation between good and evil. 

Venom: Let There Be Carnage might leave many bodies on the floor, but the real destruction is of a character and series that could have really plumbed the dark depths of humanity.