Eddie Brock returns with his symbiote. Did you avoid the mistakes of the first in the new part of the Venom adventures? We check.
There is nothing to be charmed about, 2018 Venom disappointed the expectations of all fans, including mine. I was expecting a lot more from a production directed by Ruben Fleischer. I had the impression that the creator himself did not know which film he was making and for whom. That is why I approached the sequel with a high degree of distrust, although the fact that Andy Serkis took up directing this time gave me a bit of hope that it would be better. I'm writing "a little" because Kelly Marcel is still responsible for the script, who fell in the first part, giving us a terribly uneven story.
Venom 2: Carnage begins exactly where we left our heroes in 2018. Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), a criminal sentenced to life imprisonment, wants Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) to write his story in the newspaper. The police agree to this, hoping that during the conversation Cletus will reveal to the reporter the places where the bodies of the still undiscovered victims are buried. Brock, and more specifically his symbiote, manages to unravel the mystery hidden by the psychopath, which puts him on death row. In this way, Eddie becomes a respected journalist in the industry again. And probably the whole story would end here, if not for some event during one of the meetings - Kasady bit Brock. Thus, out of the mixed blood of Eddie and the symbiote, he became Carnage. He is parasitic in the body of Cletus and wants to destroy Venom, whom he considers his father, for reasons unknown to us.
In short: the story written by Kelly Marcel does not impress. It is simple and has practically no twists, although the author - as if to wipe away tears - tried to squeeze some more comic book characters into there than it did in the previous part. The biggest problem with the scenario is its lack of consistency. Some of the themes and behavior of the characters are incomprehensible and sometimes even irrational. Fortunately, the plot is not the most important thing here. Serkis brought out all that was good in the first installment, which is Brock's twisted relationship with Venom, and built the whole movie around it. Venom 2: Carnage is a fun movie buddy. The production tells about a crazy relationship between two buddies who hate each other, but at the same time cannot live without each other. Venom is no longer a bloodthirsty parasite that devours anyone it doesn't like. He has learned to follow certain rules and restrain his desires. To survive, he only eats a special chocolate available in Mrs. Chen's store and chickens in bulk. He quietly dreams of becoming a superhero defending the city, who would eat criminals as punishment. Of course, Eddie won't let him do that. So the whole movie sticks to the relationship of these two characters. The exchanges of opinions between them are hilarious. Not only are the dialogues well-written, but also the dynamics of the two characters played by Tom Hardy is great. Each of them has ego inflated to sky-high dimensions. The viewer really feels that they hate each other.
Venom 2: Carnage also has elements of a romantic movie. All heroes in their actions are guided by the heart, and not some irrational desire to spread chaos. Cletus Kasady wants to regain his childhood love, Frances Barrison (Naomie Harris) - a mutant kept in a special penitentiary facility. She wants to take revenge on everyone who hurt her in any way. Eddie and Venom, on the other hand, continue to suffer from the breakdown of their relationship with Anne (Michelle Williams) and they hope that the woman will return to them someday. In addition, Marcel in his text tries to explain why the antagonists have become criminals. What happened in their lives that made them decide to murder other people? It seems to imply that this is a reaction to past events.
In terms of acting, the film looks solid. Woody Harrelson is great as a serial killer who, like Hannibal Lecter, plays a certain game with Brock. Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams fully accept the comedic overtone of the entire production - they have fun with their characters and give them a certain lightness. They don't take them seriously (as in the first part).
Andy Serkis has an excellent sense of the subject. He knows exactly what viewers expect from this title. The final symbiote fight is spectacular and carried out with an idea. It is not only a computer duel of two characters, but a nicely combined fight of a total of four heroes. It keeps you in suspense and gives viewers a little adrenaline.
However, the biggest advantage of the production of Venom 2: Carnage is twisted humor and numerous exchanges of toughness between Eddie and Venom. They make the viewer have a great time in the room and burst out laughing every now and then. Serkis has made a crazy comedy in the Marvel universe, moving as far as possible from serious production. And it turned out great for him. You just want to watch this Venom. However, it must also be said straightforward - this is not the symbiote we know from comics. At least for now. This is his satirical variation, which I buy one hundred percent.
P.S. There is only one scene after the credits, but it's very important. You don't want to miss it...
