Respond to these rapid questions in our Venom quiz and we will tell you which Venom character you are. Play it now.
Every role that Tom Hardy takes on requires him to give everything he has. He is known for going the extra mile, both physically and emotionally, for every role he takes on. When it comes to acting, Hardy never takes anything lightly, whether it’s bulking up to play Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises,” being strapped to the front of a truck for “Mad Max: Fury Road,” mouthing incomprehensible dialogue as British gangster twins in “Legend,” or spending the entirety of a shoot alone in a car for “Locke.” It’s been said many times before, but it bears repeating: he’s the Brando of our generation.
As a result, Hardy brings the same level of intensity to the origin story of the comic-book anti-hero “Venom,” as well. And his completely dedicated performance is pretty much the only reason to go see it in the first place.
This is a very minor entry in the Marvel universe (although it is technically not a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for those of you who are interested in such things), a tonally wonky romp that is actually stronger when it is sillier (for those of you who are interested in such things). At first glance, it appears to be a mess, but it is actually quite enjoyable—at least for a while.
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As a comparison, consider “All of Me,” the 1984 comedy in which Lily Tomlin’s soul ends up in Steve Martin’s body, which is an intensely violent version of this. While Hardy’s character, investigative reporter Eddie Brock, struggles to maintain control of his body, much like in that film, the best parts of director Ruben Fleischer’s uneven extravaganza occur when Hardy’s character, an otherworldly life force in the form of a menacing black blob, gains strength inside him and begins to argue with him, as in that film.
Venom Quiz
Probably the best example of this is when Eddie first realizes the extent of his newly discovered (and unwanted) abilities—the thing that transforms him from a normal guy into a massive hulking mass. In his shabby San Francisco apartment, a group of heavily armed henchmen has infiltrated and is attempting to take him down in order to retrieve the gooey alien specimen that has taken up residence in him after he accidentally acquired it while snooping around a high-tech lab. Eddie annihilates them one by one, his limbs instantly stretching and transforming into sharp, shiny, and extremely lethal weapons in the process. His body is being yanked all over the place, and his panic grows as the growling voice in his head (also played by Hardy) grows louder and lifeless bodies are strewn across the ground in his frenzied wake. Even though the two elements of the role, when combined, don’t always work well together as the film progresses, Hardy appears to be enjoying both the physically demanding nature of the role as well as the dark humor in these moments.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Venom quiz.
While being overtaken by the wide-eyed, sharp-toothed Venom, he literally bites off the heads of those around him, but he also wants you to laugh out loud at his wacky quips while he does it. In addition to Scott Rosenberg, Jeff Pinkner, Kelly Marcel, and Will Beall who wrote the screenplay, four other writers were given screenwriting credit. That said, the extremely R-rated “Deadpool” films managed to achieve it by going all-in on both ridiculous violence and raunchy humor while maintaining an appropriate level of levity. When it comes to carnage, gunfire, and destruction, “Venom” is right on the edge of what can be done while still maintaining a PG-13 rating, as it features massive amounts of carnage, gunfire, and destruction but no bloodshed. However, as the film’s action set pieces grow in scope (including a particularly exciting motorcycle chase through the streets of San Francisco), they lose their ability to engage the audience emotionally and visually, and the film’s overall impact diminishes.
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Fleischer (“Zombieland,” “Gangster Squad”) had the advantage of working with a true artist in Matthew Libatique, who has been a cinematographer for Darren Aronofsky for many years. (By the way, he also happened to shoot Bradley Cooper’s remake of “A Star Is Born,” which is also set to premiere this week.) A variety of factors contribute to its popularity, but the glossy, dreamy images captured by Libatique are among them.) However, because so much of “Venom” takes place at night, and because Venom himself resembles an enormous dominatrix clad in head-to-toe black Latex, it’s often difficult to tell what’s going on. In particular, this is true when Venom confronts a man whose body has been taken over by another enraged blob: mad billionaire scientist Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), who had hoped to tame these extraterrestrial specimens for the benefit of mankind.
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Fighting scenes are as confusing as anything you’d see in a “Transformers” movie: a sticky mass of sinew, screams, and flailing limbs, to name a few characteristics. Occasionally, it is obvious that there are people inside these creatures, rather than the other way around, which further complicates the visual effects. But, once again, on a more personal level, the playful relationship between Eddie and Venom can be entertaining to witness. A good example of this is his/their interactions with Michelle Williams, who is vastly underqualified for the role of Eddie’s ex-fiancee, Anne Weying. Hardy also has some witty banter with Jenny Slate, who plays the whistleblower at Drake’s company; it’s just one of several examples of the film’s well-chosen casting.
And, as we all know, Venom will eventually be forced to join the ranks of Spider-villains Man’s in order to survive. That is one of the reasons why we care about him, at least in theory. For the time being, at least in Hardy’s hands, it is the ambiguity of the character, rather than his surroundings, that makes him interesting.
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