MOVIE REVIEW – Sony continues to stumble through the maze of universe-building, and Venom: The Last Dance doesn’t try to hide that. This final chapter is packed with action, humor, and just the right amount of absurdity as Tom Hardy and his symbiotic counterpart, Venom, return for one last round. The challenge? The same as always: the over-the-top jokes and bizarre showdowns that fans have come to know and love.

Sony’s previous attempts to create a cohesive live-action universe haven’t exactly been a hit—just take a look at the failures of Morbius and Madame Web. The first two Venom films weren’t groundbreaking in terms of filmmaking either, but Tom Hardy’s performance and the odd, lovable relationship between Eddie Brock and Venom carried the series. This quirky dynamic, set against the chaotic backdrop of Marvel comic book lore, found its audience, and it’s safe to say that many will be sad to see this chaotic story end with The Last Dance. Some international critics have even called this the strongest entry in the trilogy, though that’s mostly in comparison to its own standards. And honestly, we’re inclined to agree.

Kicking Into High Gear

Venom: The Last Dance doesn’t waste time, diving straight into the action with a scene we’ve already glimpsed in the trailers: a rundown, alien-infested wasteland, where a sinister, white-haired villain emerges from the shadows. This is none other than Knull, a light-hating being searching for a mysterious codex hidden on Earth. The codex holds the key to his freedom, so he sends massive, reptilian beasts to retrieve it. Of course, the codex ends up in Eddie Brock’s hands, though he remains blissfully unaware. To make matters worse, Eddie is framed for murder, forcing him to go on the run, Harrison Ford-style. Meanwhile, scientists at Area 51 detect Knull’s presence and quickly realize that a more serious threat is on the horizon, one that will require a hefty ally to confront.

Despite the film’s title and the creators’ promises of a more dramatic, serious tone, The Last Dance remains heavily focused on comedy. Tom Hardy and Kelly Marcel—who also takes on directorial duties for the first time—aimed to craft a larger, more grandiose story than the previous installments. But it seems they couldn’t entirely shake the formulaic structure of the Venom films. It’s a bit like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where the heroic epic and the comedic moments constantly wrestle for control.

A Funny Farewell…

As the title suggests, we were expecting more slapstick shenanigans between Eddie and Venom rather than some dramatic ballroom showdown. Kelly Marcel had previously mentioned that Knull only gets a brief introduction in this film, as they didn’t want to exhaust such an important villain in a single storyline—perhaps a subtle jab at Quantumania’s rushed handling of Kang. In the end, Knull gets about as much screen time as the trailers suggested, and Marcel and her team didn’t put much effort into making him a real threat.

Knull’s over-the-top, mannered one-liners try to make him seem menacing, but they come off more like childish taunts, leaving us thinking, “Why didn’t he just stay quiet?” His character feels more like a caricature, which fits the goofy tone of the Venom films, but thankfully he’s only a side character here. There’s still hope that if he gets more screen time in the future, he might outgrow these rookie mistakes and actually become a formidable foe. The Last Dance even hints that the symbiote mythology holds plenty of potential if Sony decides to seriously pursue this path.

…But Too Many Flaws

Tom Hardy remains the highlight of the show, with Eddie Brock and Venom’s chaotic dynamic still providing solid entertainment. Hardy’s physical comedy alone is enough to get laughs, and the constant bickering between Eddie and Venom brings several smile-worthy moments. While The Last Dance doesn’t offer much in the way of fresh humor, and many of the jokes feel as tired as in the previous films, it still manages to land a few genuinely funny moments. The action sequences are also solid, with highlights like the airplane scene and some visually impressive transformations, including Venom taking over a horse—just as teased in the trailers. The xenophages also get their moments, with brutal, bloody rampages that make for some grotesque fun. In one particularly gruesome moment, Venom shows that he has no moral qualms about killing or feeding when the opportunity arises.

True to its title, The Last Dance builds to a final showdown that is undoubtedly a spectacle. The plot is riddled with logical leaps, so it’s best not to think too hard about how we get there, but focusing on the finale itself reveals a visually stunning, emotionally charged showdown. We’d even go so far as to say that the big climax stands out not just in the Venom trilogy, but even among some of the better superhero films—it pains us to admit that!

The Best, But Still Not Good Enough

It would be a stretch to call The Last Dance a good movie. Sure, it’s better than the previous two entries, but is that enough? That’s debatable. Kelly Marcel’s directorial debut is a decent effort, but the pacing is a major issue. At times, the story grinds to a halt—like during a cringe-worthy, inexplicable dance scene that feels more ridiculous than entertaining. Rhys Ifans’ manic, alien-chasing father figure and his family drama also slow things down. These side characters only exist to give our antiheroes some emotional motivation, but their scenes drag on far too long. In other moments, it felt like the filmmakers weren’t sure when to hit the stop button.

Marcel and Hardy, as co-writers, also took a loose approach to plot logic. At times, it feels like events happen simply because they thought it was time to raise the stakes. As a result, some action sequences feel unearned, almost as if they were pulled from Venom’s symbiotic backside at the last minute. The same goes for the secondary characters: Juno Temple’s scientist is given a tragic backstory, but the film quickly forgets about it. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s military commander, who’s obsessed with capturing Venom, is little more than a rough sketch of a character. But what did we expect? After all, it’s just a Venom movie!

–Herpai Gergely “BadSector”–