Venom 2, More Like Venom Boo! (And Not

Because It’s Bad)

By Colby Merrill, Reporter

“Venom” 2018 is a great movie, yet in many ways, it is the worst superhero movie ever made. On the other hand, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” (2021), is a very self-aware movie and seemed to me like the production team makes fun of the movie as it progresses. When it was first announced I was very excited for this movie and as time passed I got even more excited about seeing the movie.

Director Andy Serkis and the cast know exactly what they are doing; it is clear that the studio — Sony and Columbia Pictures — gave them full control of the film. The cast is bringing life to their roles and it’s hard not to enjoy yourself watching this movie. Their enthusiasm made me more enthusiastic to watch them on screen. The characters develop not only in their “normal” lives but as “otherworldly” protagonists in the fictional universe Sony Studios is creating. I’d compare this movie to “Fast and Furious 6”, as it’s fast-paced nonsense and it works. There are very few slow points for the returning characters, since the first film taught us everything we needed to know about actor Tom Hardy’s roles of both Eddie Brock and Venom, the two main characters. The movie’s story adds to aspects of the first film’s narrative. Most of the slow points relate to new characters and consist of narratives for Cleadus Cassidy, Carnage (Woody Harrelson), and Shriek (Naomi Harris). Carnage is the new symbiote that is fused to Cleadus Cassidy, a deranged psychopath.

When Cassidy and Carnage bond, it is apparent that they both share motivation to kill Brock and Venom for reasons that are addressed in the beginning of the movie. But, before Carnage and Cledus look for the protagonists, Cassidy wants to find Shriek, his love interest, who has the ability to scream extremely loud. This trait plays into the plot of the movie and creates problems for Venom and Carnage who are both weakened by sound. This is very well executed and used creatively in the film’s final act.

“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is just extremely enjoyable. It’s like a rollercoaster. The movie is a solid seven out of ten. Objectively this film is better than the first one, however, I personally prefer the first one.

The end credits scene of “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is very important. It’s by far the best part of the movie and possibly the best credit scene ever; it sets up so much for the future of this franchise and brings two universes together. It is an “Endgame”-level moment, the likes of which could be compared to Cap lifting Thor’s hammer. The emotion that I felt in the audience was pure happiness, and I highly recommend seeing this movie in the theater for the full experience of this final scene among a large in-person audience. Seeing this movie in a theatre allows you to experience the audience’s second hand emotions. mostly for the audience reactions of the movie as a whole. It’s nice to hear people laugh at jokes and react when something big happens. It’s something that is becoming possible again, with the reopening of theaters. This is a fun movie to see, and a very fun first movie to see after COVID.