There are an overwhelming number of movies coming out this fall, and I am NOT complaining. But this is another one I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.
Venom (2018) was my January 2019 obsession. Yeah, I was late to the game, but boy did I jump in quickly. I loved every cheesy part of the movie, from lobster tank scene (don’t ask) to the inclusion of a sinister San Francisco business tycoon (very satirically in-character if you’ve read recent headlines). And I listened to the soundtrack in the lab an embarrassing number of times.
Overall, I really enjoyed Let there be Carnage too. Sure, it lacked the freshness of the original movie and the intoxicating potential of an origin story. But the character progressions made sense, and in many cases, the first movie’s strengths carried over. There were just a couple of things that fell short and one big decision that irked me.
I would insert my typical spoiler warning here, but it would be kind of irrelevant after that title, huh?
What I Liked:
(V + E) NOM
If the events of the first movie (or at least the end of it) were the honeymoon phase of Eddie and Venom’s symbiosis, the second installment was the perfect time for things to get rocky. As one can imagine, sharing a body and an apartment with an amorphic, supernaturally strong, brain-eating alien is not exactly a picnic. Yet the Eddie and Venom manage to form a fragile codependence. Both self-proclaimed “losers,” they each need the other to become something more. (Not that either of them would ever willingly admit it.) This is what makes Eddie and Venom’s mid-film separation the most emotionally-impactful part of the story.
Actually, the gut punches begin with Eddie’s reaction to Dan and Anne’s engagement.
“I’m sorry I can’t mend a broken heart,” Venom apologizes after stopping Eddie from swerving into oncoming traffic. “Emotional pain lasts longer.” This scene proves that Eddie has become much more than just a host to Venom. Venom cares for Eddie deeply, even if he has a strange way of showing it. (Ketchup waffles, anyone?)
But Eddie is (understandably) too busy mourning the complete destruction of his pre-Venom life for Venom’s affection to register. The two fight, Venom tosses Eddie’s TV out the window, and they separate. When the news of Cletus Cassidy’s Carnage-ification breaks, you can practically feel the loneliness and vulnerability seeping through the screen as Eddie tries desperately to track the killer down alone. Across the city, Venom finds hoards of new friends at a rave. But he misses his true host in every possible way, physical and emotional desolation masterfully represented by his running commentary and the trail of imperfect hosts he leaves in his wake.
After Venom and Eddie reunite, their CGI-fueled final confrontation with Carnage is peppered with plenty of emotionally-charged moments. The turning point? When Eddie finally acknowledges his relationship with Venom as a partnership rather than parasitism. The gradual reconciliation is just so well done.
In summary, Venom and Eddie’s quirky relationship defines the franchise, and I think the picture below represents the ridiculousness of their dynamic perfectly.
Fun psychological contrasts
Let There Be Carnage does an excellent job of delving into the darkest corners of Eddie Brock’s psyche. While the first movie hinted at the investigative journalist’s many demons, the second grants them physical form. We learn that Eddie’s mother died in childbirth and that he grew up facing abuse and resentment from his father. These revelations provide important context when it comes to the character study constructed around Eddie’s relationship with Cletus Cassidy.
In many ways, the darker sides of the two men reflect each other. (Tumultuous childhoods, intense loneliness, a deep-rooted hunger to prove themselves, etc.) The movie poster illustrates this perfectly. But the vital, character-defining contrasts that set Eddie and Cletus apart stem from the choices they make. Eddie seeks to illuminate injustice and help the vulnerable. As a serial killer, Cletus does pretty much the exact opposite by definition. With Venom in the driver’s seat, Eddie acts as the slightly-skewed moral compass and the duo balance each other out. In contrast, Cletus and Carnage amplify each other’s violent rage. Finally, the film’s dual romances run in parallel. Cassidy’s love for Shriek brings about his destruction, whereas Eddie and Venom’s growing acceptance of one another proves their salvation.
Side characters played important roles
A strong secondary cast of characters shone in the first movie. The same proved true in Let there be Carnage, from Mrs. Chen’s triumphant reprise to the introduction of Patrick Mulligan, Eddie’s reluctant detective collaborator. It’s always nice when side characters display agency, autonomy, and an ability to influence the plot equal to that of the protagonist. I enjoyed watching Anne save the day yet again, and even Dan managed to get in on the action this time.
What I Disliked:
Inferior soundtrack and inconsistent flow
These are both relatively straight-forward, so I’ll keep this brief.
- Marco Beltrami’s score for this film didn’t match up enough with Ludwig Göransson’s music from Venom (2018), in terms of both quality and content.
- The narrative of Let there be Carnage didn’t flow as clearly as the first movie. Rushed post-production cut certain important scenes and left behind choppiness and a slew of unanswered questions. For instance, are there more “mutants” like Shriek out there? What’s going on with the Ravencroft Institute, and what does that mean for the future of the franchise?
The MCU is taking over the universe(s)
Okay, I’m putting this in the negatives column, but I’m still not 100% sure how I feel about the movie’s mid-credit scene.
In the 2018 film, I appreciated that Sony allowed Venom to develop independently, in a world uncomplicated by the Avengers and SHIELD. Not sharing the spotlight with Peter Parker allowed an admittedly dark character like Venom to be painted in a refreshing, more positive light. As a result, literally catapulting this version of Eddie and Venom into the MCU at the end of Let There be Carnage seems both unnecessary and counterproductive.
Look, on some level, I understand why they did it. This is the perfect opportunity to consolidate all their assets, to weave those last few disconnected pieces into the existing tapestry. It’s just hard to see the MCU’s invention of the “multiverse” as something more than a newfangled moneymaking scheme. I adore the MCU, but seriously. The potential for infinite expansion that the multiverse presents is starting to seem like too much. Several adages seem appropriate here… “All empires must fall?” How about “all good things must come to an end,” or “it is possible to have too much of a good thing?”
Ultimately, a lot rides on how the multiverse is introduced in No Way Home. If poorly executed, I’m afraid the concept will slowly consume the heart of what has drawn so many people to the MCU and its characters for so long—like a symbiote gnawing on the organs of an imperfect host.
But honestly, what am I saying? This is Marvel we’re talking about. The multiverse (and Venom’s introduction into it) will probably turn out great. It wouldn’t be the first time Marvel tricked me into liking something preposterous. I’m just mad about it.
The Verdict:
Hey, if nothing else, this movie was tons of fun. Venom and Eddie are as priceless as ever, and Tom Hardy and Woody Harrelson put on equally brilliant, unhinged performances. I just worry about some of the steps that were skipped in Marvel’s rush to get this movie out there and shove Venom into the ever-expanding MCU.
I would give Venom: Let there be Carnage a 6.75/10. (Couldn’t decide between 6.5 and 7.)