Tag: TomHardy

Venom: The Last Dance

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

In the final instalment of the Venom trilogy, Eddie Brock and Venom (Tom Hardy) find themselves on the run. The world is convinced that Eddie is a murderer while Venom is being hunted. The symbiotic alien has something that a new foe wants and they will stop at nothing to get it – even if it means devastating circumstances for the duo.

One would expect the last film in a franchise to go out with a bang. Unfortunately I can’t really say that that was the case. The storyline was all over the place and didn’t always make sense. There were three different ones going on at the same time. When they came together, only two of them really came together. I didn’t think the other was needed. It took a really long time for anything exciting to happen too. Luckily it paid off in the final act.

Hardy makes this worth watching. You can tell that he’s had such a blast in both these roles. He always gives it one hundred and ten per cent and I will miss the unconventional friendship that was formed between Eddie and Venom. I do think that the rest of the cast were underused though. I was excited when I discovered that Juno Temple was attached to the project. Her character of Dr. Teddy Paine had potential, but we didn’t really get to see her take off. I feel like the same happened with Chiwetel Ejiofer’s Strickland and Rhys Ifan’s Martin. They were side characters who never had the chance to shine.

The Venom franchise is one that has never been high on the list of Marvel fans’ favorites. I personally have always found them to be a ton of fun. They don’t take themselves seriously which is refreshing and it doesn’t take a lot to understand what’s going on. While Venom: The Last Dance could have been a much stronger send off, I am glad that we got to see Eddie and Venom one last time.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

The Bikeriders

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

Based on the photography book by Danny Lyon, The Bikeriders focuses on a motorcycle gang’s reign during the sixties and seventies. When Kathy (Jodie Comer) meets Benny (Austin Butler) at a local bar, her life will never be the same. Benny is the newest member of the Vandals. As the country changes over time, Benny is constantly forced to choose between the woman who becomes his wife and Johnny, the enigmatic leader of the club.

With an incredibly stacked cast, I was instantly sold. Hardy gives a solid performance as the leader of the group. He doesn’t take any shit from anybody and he also serves as a father figure to many of the members. Butler’s role this time around wasn’t as convincing for me, but I think that was what the character called for. wasn’t as strong in comparison. He was a bit of a wet rag if I’m being honest. But he’s so beautiful to look at that I would interested even if he were to read the phone book. The film belongs to Comer though who shines as Kathy. Told through a series of interviews given to Lyon’s character played by Mike Faist, she instantly captivated me even if the accent took some getting used to.

The look and feel was cool. The small town America back drop complete with the old school outfits and the soundtrack was all very fitting. I also appreciated the cinematography especially in regards to the motorcycles themselves. During many of the drive by scenes, the way in which the camera was positioned on the road with the engines revving was such an adrenaline rush.

Unfortunately the film did fall flat around the halfway mark. I understand that this was more of a character study, but it was missing any sort of real conflict. The pacing, as a result, was slow and I found myself losing interest. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the leading trio, but I felt like we didn’t even really get to know who they were as people, let alone the side characters (played by Norman Reedus, Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook and Damon Herriman to name a few).

Overall, I did enjoy The Bikeriders, but I felt like it could have been better. This was a prime example that a stacked cast isn’t always worth the hype because outside of the performances, there wasn’t much on offer.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom are back in the sequel to 2018’s Venom. This time around, Brock is trying to adjust to life as host to Venom, an alien species which gives him super human abilities, while attempting to get his career back on track. His best bet? Interviewing infamous serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) before he is sentenced to death. But when an altercation breaks out between the two men, Kasady becomes the host to Carnage and breaks out of prison. Now it is up to Brock, with the help of ex-fiancee Anne (Michelle Williams) and her new beau Dan (Reid Scott) to save the world from Carnage before it’s too late.

I remember really liking the first Venom movie! It was funny, unique and different. I never understood why it was so underrated or why it wasn’t a part of the MCU (I still don’t. Anybody care to fill me in?) So when news broke about the sequel, I was thrilled. I couldn’t wait to see what shenanigans Brock and Venom found themselves in this time around.

The plot this time around seemed a lot tighter and to the point which I appreciated. I think it helped that the film was a bit on the shorter side because it didn’t allow for much room to go off course. Sometimes I complain that superhero movies are too long, so this was perfect for me! Because everything happened rather quickly, there was no time to waste and I was constantly engaged.

Brock and Venom’s back and forth banter were hilarious and I couldn’t stop laughing. It was also nice to see Brock becoming more familiar with having Venom around. Having Woody Harrelson as the villain was pretty interesting. I’m not used to seeing him in a role like that and I think he did a great job. Similarly, Naomie Harris who played Kasady’s girlfriend Francis added another bad guy into the mix.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage was an utter delight. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and didn’t want it to end. It looks like they’ve set things up nicely for the story to go forward so fingers crossed we get more of our favorite duo sooner rather than later.

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥