Despite some of the negative buzz about the film Venom has already devoured $33 million at the box office since Friday and is projected to end up at the $70-$80 million range by the end of the weekend.
Tom Hardy as always delivers an incredible performance as both Eddie Brock and the voice for Venom. This performance just shows how flexible Hardy is physically and mentally as an actor.
The film is based off the lethal protector comic book series with few different adaptations from the original for example the absence of the wall crawler.
But this is Venom’s movie and rightfully so as fans have been unsatisfied for over a decade from the Sam Raimi’s adaptation of Vemon in Spider-Man 3 back in 2007.
Venom starts off with a space shuttle from the Life Foundation crash landing trying to bring back specimens of life for further study. Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) Head of the Life Foundation has the specimens brought back to the his headquarters in San Francisco.
We find Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) who is an investigative journalist in San Francisco that lives with his fiance Anne Weying (Michelle Williams) at her apartment. Weying is a defense attorney who’s firm works for the Life Foundation.
Back at the Life Foundation, Carlton Drake begins to experiment on his newfound forms of life. Carlton Drake believes that the symbiotes he’s acquired will be the next stage into human evolution.
Eddie Brock later has a interview with Carlton Drake about the shuttle’s crash but decides to ask him more direct questions about controversial allegations towards the Foundation success.
After the interview Carlton Drake becomes eager to start human trials to achieve the bonding process known as symbiosis. Dr. Dora Skirth of the Life Foundation (Jenny Slate) realizes this is ethically immoral.
Dr. Skirth reaches out to Brock hoping he’ll be able to expose the horrors within the Life Foundation.
With Dr. Skirth’s help Eddie brakes into the Life Foundation in search of any evidence he can use against Carlton Drake. He notices a woman in a quarantined room for symbiotes. As Eddie break the glass to set her free she pounces on him and a black gooey substance gets transferred onto him.
After escaping the Life Foundation Eddie returns to his apartment very hungry and ill. He also starts to here a voice in his head but isn’t sure what or who is speaking to him.
Eddie comes to terms that the voice he hears is real and identifies it’s self as Venom.
Venom explains to Eddie that he needs him to survive and will protect him from any harm. Venom and Eddie agree that they share a common goal in bringing down the Life Foundation.
The two start to bond and is one of the better aspects of the film. The dialogue they share is hilarious and very well executed. The special effects of the symbiote’s animations are both very impressive and visually stunning. Some of the actors in this movie are serviceable but thankfully the film focuses on Tom Hardy most of the time which is where this movie shines.
Ruben Fleischer has directed another well paced film ensuring that there is something always going on in the film without over saturating it with mindless action scenes.
The film truly follows its tag line “the world has enough superheroes” bringing a fresh edition to the superhero genre. Venom has many references from the comics as well as a couple cameos that fans will enjoy.
Venom has humor, drama, action, and is the perfect way to start off the month of October. The film stays true to the comic book through accurate lines that will please fans. That being said as always be sure to see the two after credit scenes for a potential sequel.