Venom: The Last Dance

 Ready or not, here comes Venom!

Venom: The Last Dance promotes Kelly Marcel, the previous films' consistent screenwriter, to the director's chair, while Andy Serkis, who directed the last film, is now this film's surprisingly dull Big Bad. What do I mean by that?

Well, Serkis is Knull, the Alien God who created the Symbiote race, whom they trapped in an alternate dimension. He needs the Codex, a MacGuffin held by a certain Symbiote to get himself free. Venom, and his human host, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), have the Codex, so Knull dispatches his army of monstrous Xenophages after him. Meanwhile, Knull sits ominously on his throne, waiting for a chance to fight that never happens in this movie. He's basically a MacGuffin villain looking for an actual MacGuffin; replace him with someone else as the Symbiotes' creator, and you'll barely change much.

The Xenophages compensate for their master's lack of presence with their intimidating design and remarkable durability. They're not only difficult to kill, but even if you kill one of them, it will pull itself together. It's pretty tense when the first Xenophage debuts that ability when it fights Venom and the military squad pursuing him. Throw in a whole army of Xenophages, along with their rapid eating prowess, and that tension is magnified several times over. The visual effects work on them was exquisite all the way. They're finally defeated in an ingenious manner, but that would spoil why this film is called The Last Dance.

So, what is this movie actually about? This time, Eddie and Venom are on the run after they're accused of murdering Det. Mulligan (Stephen Graham) in the last movie, who was actually saved by another Symbiote. They hitch a plane to New York to lie low, but the first Xenophage shows up and attacks. Stranded in a desert, they hitch a ride with the Moon family, who are off to see aliens at the soon-to-be-decommissioned Area 51. General Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor) of Area 51 hunts for Eddie & Venom, and finally gets a lead when the Moons drop our heroes off at Vegas. Strickland and the Moons are about to get more than they bargained for, that's for sure.

Its best part is its singular double-act. It’s entertaining to see Hardy argue with himself as both Eddie and Venom, as well as to see Eddie acting under Venom’s influence. Venom maybe the “Lethal Protector,” which he asserts when he and Eddie bust a dog-fighting ring, but he’s a big goof. His dance with series mainstay Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu) in Vegas is beyond endearing. He and Eddie have great symbiosis, and even if you haven't seen the previous movies, it's hard not to feel something at the ending.

At a close second is the final battle. When the Xenophage army storms Area 51, a few personnel bond with the nearby symbiotes and become Lethal Protectors as well. It's delightfully goofy as two symbiote-pairs merge into one Mega Symbiote, one symbiote-pair becomes a magma monster, and another becomes a sort of rock monster (were those last two meant to be The Human Torch and The Thing?). They may be obvious CGI monsters, but it's still entertaining to see them fight like The Avengers. It's disappointing that nearly all of them get shredded by Xenophages, except for head scientist Dr. Payne and her best friend, Sadie Christmas (Clark Backo). At least those two are likable.

If Venom: The Last Dance segways into an MCU movie, then perhaps Knull can make good on his "I'll get you next time" threat in the mid-credits. But like so many films, this neglects its own plot to focus on potential movies. However, its goofiness and superheroic action help save the film from tedium. It's also helped by a good supporting cast, whether they be newcomers or old favorites. I've seen worse superhero films, and this Last Dance makes for a good matinee any day. Here's hoping Kraven the Hunter will be worth its long delay when it finally ends in a few months. I'll be waiting for it.