The pace of Venom is fast, choppy, and a little hard to follow due to both the writing and editing of the storyline. The journey that Venom’s nemesis, the symbiote Riot, makes to get to its final destination is one of the reasons that it becomes so confusing. The audience sees sporadic footage of the symbiote jumping from host to host as it makes its way to Carlton Drake, played by Riz Ahmed, and the Life Foundation where Riot finally locates Drake beginning symbiosis.

The movie isn’t exactly friendly to the newcomers to this series as there are references throughout the movie that are part of the plot’s backstory but they are not fleshed out for the audience. One such reference is given earlier in the movie by Eddie’s editor alluding to how Eddie had an incident at the Daily Globe and moved from New York to San Francisco is a nod to the comics. For those who don’t know, Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy, is an investigative reporter and ran an article in the Globe on the Sin-Eater serial killer. Turns out that the admitted killer was a liar and his reputation took a hit leading to his relocation.

The news montage is a way of establishing his character as a reporter with a human interest who has a great time taking down powerful people who prey on the powerless. It does a good job explaining why Eddie would open the door to a cell with a homeless woman he knows and unknowingly open himself to the Venom symbiote.

Eddie, a social pariah, and Venom, a self-admitted loser from another plant, somehow think that challenging Riot is a great idea though they don’t think their chances of survival are all that good.

The pair manage the impossible and kill Riot as he makes for space in the Life Foundation’s rocket. We are then left with what is supposed to be a touching scene of Venom saying goodbye to Eddie after being caught in the blast as Eddie falls into the ocean below. We never got to see how the symbiote Venom survived or located Eddie afterward.

Even though there seems to be flaws and loop-holes in the movie, like being chased around the same corner a few times, the beginning space craft’s wreckage looking like painted plastic, having what looks like water vapor rather than smoke in the wreckage, never seeing Venom find and re-assimilate with Eddie, and being a little rough in both humor and execution, the movie was an enjoyable experience that could benefit from webcomic enhancements.

Venom can still be watched at the Cinemark 14, AMC Sikes Senter 10, and the New Vision Lawton Central Mall.

Rating:

2/5