When audiences last saw Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), he was hiding out in Mexico with his symbiote after dealing with Carnage and the resulting aftermath which included a shift into another universe. Venom: The Last Dance, sets Eddie and Venom on a road trip as an evil force has dispatched hunters to eliminate Venom and retrieve something that they possess. The potential release of Knull from the prison that his Symbiotes created could spell destruction for the universe as we told, and Venom and Eddie try to make their way to New York to lay low from the authorities.
The deadly intruders have other plans and interrupt a flight. This forces Venom and Eddie into the desert where they are assisted by a kindly conspiracy Hippie named David (Rhys Ifans), and his family.
Meanwhile, Dr. Payne (Juno Temple) and General Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor), lead a secret project to capture and study symbiotes with the General made aware of Knull; he sets his sights on eliminating Eddie and/or Venom to end the threat which leads all the principles on a collision course.
Along the way there are several comic asides such as Eddie and Venom in Las Vegas and their time with David and his family which may seem a bit counter to the tone and flow of the movie as well comic interludes can be entertaining; some such as a dance sequence using a bit out of place.
Naturally the resulting action more than brings the film home during the final act which results in a touching and satisfying conclusion. The cast is solid as are the effects and while the two bonus scenes in the credits do not contain any real zingers. They fit well and writer Director Kelly Marcel has crafted a solid third act that continues to build on character and satisfy without becoming a copy of the previous films.
There were certainly numerous questions relating to Knull as I was not overly familiar with the character, and I certainly had more than a few questions regarding his threat and options to contain him seeing how he found himself in his current predicament. It is rumored that Knull will be making future appearances in the MCU and it is very interesting to see what the future holds for the characters after the satisfying outing.
Venom: The Last Dance released theatrically on October 24, 2024.
3.5 stars out of 5
