Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Image credit: SpringCinema.com 

Continuing on with the ‘popcorn movies to keep us in bed over the long weekend’ that was going on last weekend, partner and I decided that the Spiderman universe was where we wanted to live, so after the credits rolled on Morbius, we flicked over to the sequel to Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Journalist Eddie Brock has come to learn how to live with the symbiote Venom sharing his body. And while the perks of having an alien granting superhuman abilities is very cool, the harmonising out of combat is not so much. Eddie and Venom’s relationship becomes so strained that Venom leaves and the timing could not be worse. In an attempt to resurrect his career, Eddie interviews death-row serial killer Cletus Kasady, who then becomes the host of another symbiote, escapes from prison, and decides that Eddie is his next victim.

What I liked about the first Venom movie was the dark, buddy comedy route it took. Eddie and Venom forced to become unlikely friends is a real fresh twist on the buddy movie and it ties in with the humour that flavours some of the other Marvel movies. Let There Be Carnage plays on that humour further, extending the relationship and becoming more like a twisted version of Wedding Crashers or Romy and Michelle, where the solid friendship is already established, but suffers strain and falls apart. Where the first movie was about Eddie and Venom becoming friends, this one explores what happens when friendships (especially ones that feature a live-in aspect) start to crack. This sweeter side of the story is highlighted by the unbelievable drama of having a serial killer with an even stronger alien tenant out to get you and while the film is shot in a very serious way; lack of colour, grimy and grainy filter, etc, the humour that comes from the sheer ridiculousness of Eddie and Venom’s relationship really shines through and makes is a dark and funny popcorn flick.

Image credit: Polygon

The performances are all good and the combat sequences are pretty epic, but ultimately it’s the weird, odd-couple style central relationship that really drives this movie. If you enjoyed the first Venom, then you’ll like this one too.

Director: Andy Serkis, 2021

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu & Woody Harrelson

Venom

Image credit: IMDb

With Marvel and Warner Bros. practically dominating screens right now with all their superhero movies, it should come as no surprise that other studios are desperate to jump on that speeding train. The latest to take the leap has been Sony with their latest action flick, Venom.

A film riddled with problems, Venom tells the story of selfish and not-very-nice-guy Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) who, after losing his career and his fiancé in one move, breaks into the laboratories of the Life Corporation to try and uncover some evidence of unethical human testing and accidently becomes host to a symbiote brought back from outer space. With frightening new powers, Eddie must work with the vicious parasite in order to save the world from an invasion.

There always has been and always will be those movies that you see the poster for and think, ‘uh that’s going to be awful, but I know I’ll end up going to see it.’ For my partner and I, that was Venom. This film suffers from a lot of problems, the most glaring being that the majority of the budget was given to special effects studios rather than writers. Sitting through the credits and seeing just how much of them is devoted to CGI and sound is probably the most interesting thing about this film. The problem is that Venom is not made for anyone. It’s definitely not expressly made for fans of the comic because that’s too niche of an audience, but it’s not really inclusive to people who don’t know the character or story, or (like me) only know Venom as a villain from the Spiderman franchise. This mindset really screws up the experience because it’s very hard to get your head around the idea that Venom here is actually something of a ‘hero’.

Image credit: E! News

Of course, if there had been more effort put into the writing of this film, it might have turned out better. The relationship between Eddie and Venom is actually kind of fascinating and I would have liked to see it develop a little more. As it stands, this slightly comedic banter goes on minutely between the two and then it’s all fist fighting and CGI battles; all of which are so overdone I couldn’t actually follow what has happening. There’s a real problem of genres happening here because, obviously Sony was hell-bent on making an action movie with comedic elements, but didn’t really know how to make it work without copying Deadpool. A bit of a catch-22 I guess, but the result still stands and Venom does not make the grade.

The performances are all fine I guess, but rather generic and I have to admit I’m getting pretty fed up with this movie trope of the villains being the ones to voice genuine concern about the state of the planet and humanity. Some of the stuff that the villain here talks about in terms of his motive for ‘being evil’ is actually totally what’s happening outside our doors right now! Maybe, instead of clinging to that archaic theme of science being evil and the humans who use it bringing about the end of the world, movies could model their villains after real ones; like the ones who go into a place of worship and shoot it up, or the authority figure who hand-waves it away with “should have had more security”!

I hate to get political, but ARGH!

Anyway, Venom: in the right hands, it may have had potential, but as it plays out on screens, it’s just another mindless action movie that exhibits a Studio’s desperate attempts to swipe some of that green from the fountain of cash.

Director: Ruben Fleischer, 2018

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott, Jenny Slate, Peggy Lu, and Woody Harrelson

Maleficent [M]

Before she cursed the infant Princess Aurora, Maleficent was a kind-hearted woodland fairy who fell in love with a human boy from the rival, neighbouring kingdom. But the boy grew into a man and became consumed with a desire for power. In order to become king, he drugged poor Maleficent and cut off her wings. We know what happened next, but what we didn’t know is that Maleficent and Aurora developed a special bond during that sixteen-year lead up to the curse’s fruition. 

As I understand it, there is an infatuation at the moment with making darker remakes of classic fairytales. With the success of Snow White and the Huntsman, how could there not be really? It’s sort of like what Marvel did when the green light for The Avengers was lit: suddenly movies for all the characters in the Avengers were being made because there was reason. For me, I was deadly excited to go see a film that was shaped in trailers as being the Sleeping Beauty story told from Maleficent’s perspective. What I got was half and half. As with most of the movies coming out this year, Maleficent suffered from flimsy and unstable writing, but I think the bigger folly comes in the form of creative control on Disney’s part. As a Disney production, I suppose we can understand why a darkened and sinister version of the classic animated feature (which was creepy enough when you really think about it) was a tad undesirable. But seriously, the war-torn scorned lover story really butted heads with the sugared ‘twist’ on true love’s kiss and to me, it seemed like the movie took a cheap shot and reused the end of (spoiler alert) Frozen. I’m a lover of Disney and a lover of villains and I’m here to say that this movie tries to achieve both and really highlights the truth that it really can’t be done, at least not without the aid of animation. 

Before she cursed the infant Princess Aurora, Maleficent was a kind-hearted woodland fairy who fell in love with a human boy from the rival, neighbouring kingdom. But the boy grew into a man and became consumed with a desire for power. In order to become king, he drugged poor Maleficent and cut off her wings. We know what happened next, but what we didn’t know is that Maleficent and Aurora developed a special bond during that sixteen-year lead up to the curse’s fruition. 

Well, I’ve had my rant and pretty much all that is wrong with the film can be found in there. I don’t want to rant too much because I risk giving away key plot points and entirely ruining the film for everyone (which I probably have already done, but anyway). Instead of ranting further on all that was wrong with this film, let’s turn our attention to what was right with it… 

I must admit that I’m not a fan of Angelina Jolie, I have nothing against her personally I just don’t shine to her. But I do have to admit that the casting choice of her as Maleficent was spot on. Her already pronounced cheekbones and wide eyes could very well have made her the only candidate for the role and she delivers a relatively captivating performance that gets batted with a lot of emotional charges so fair play to her! The scorned/cheated lover worked well for Mila Kunis’ Wicked Witch of the West so why not for Jolie’s Maleficent? And Angelina does have this strikingness about her. 

The script could have been better, though I have to admit that I did enjoy the word-for-word rendition of the infamous curse scene. I think Angelina grandiosed it up a bit too much, but the venom and the words were there so I did like that. 

Starring Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple Sam Riley, Kenneth Cranham, and Brenton Thwaites, Maleficent was a bit of a disappointment of a film I have to admit. Believe me, I really want to say that it was good or at least fine, but writing and limitations of the studio’s creative control (I think; that’s what it felt like) really brought it down. I wouldn’t recommend wasting dollars at the cinema; if you’re still slightly intrigued, wait until the DVD release. 

Morbius

Image credit: ACX Cinemas

While good cinema is always a treat, it’s not necessarily what you want all the time. In the wonderful world of movies, where there is an ever-replenishing reservoir of content, sometimes you just want to curl up with a movie that is dumb, fun, mindless, and decidedly not amazing. Here in Australia, we recently had a long weekend and, for me, that weekend was spent in bed with partner watching dumb movies. And you know what? It was the perfect way to spend it!

Biochemist, Dr. Michael Morbius, has spent his life trying to find a cure for a rare blood disease that threatens his life and the life of his best friend Milo. While his other triumphs in the medical field have been incredible, a cure remains out of reach, and he resorts to unorthodox experimenting in the hope of finding one. When he finally does, it comes with a dangerous side effect: vampirism.

I remember seeing the trailers for this film and instantly knowing that it was going to be a dumb, fun, popcorn flick in the same vein as Venom. Thanks to Disney’s Marvel cinematic universe, the Spiderman villains are getting a string of anti-hero movies that are proving to be entertaining and refreshing fillers between the anticipated Marvel blockbusters. Various stingers have already hinted that these characters are about to make an appearance in the Marvel-movieverse and I’m rather excited about it.

Morbius, while being wholly predictable and relatively short, doesn’t disappoint. A textbook action movie with a dark and gritty palette; annoying for the most part but saved a little bit by the interesting pops of colour found in the cool special effects, it’s a film that you go into knowing that you’re not going to love it and then having that expectation completely satisfied. Aside from the aforementioned special effects, which are a bit of a throwback to The Matrix spliced with the wizard fight in Harry Potter 5, there is nothing particularly thrilling or engaging about this movie. It’s just a fun one to curl up with in the hope of killing some cold, winter hours.

Image credit: Tvovermind

Jared Leto delivers a fine performance as the anti-hero himself, definitely keeping us on our toes regarding his moral alignment (for want of a better word). And Matt Smith as the villain is stable and unoffending.

It’s most certainly not a movie to rave about, just a fun way to fill time, and if you’re a fan of the Marvel-movieverse and the movies that make it up, then it’s worth giving it a watch.

Director: Daniel Espinosa, 2022

Cast: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Tyrese Gibson, Al Madrigal & Jared Harris.

The Philadelphia Story [G]

After her first marriage ends on less than friendly terms, heiress Tracy Lord tries to prove that she is not impossible to love by getting engaged to marry the wealthy and respectable, though dull and colourless, George Kittredge. Getting wind of her plans, Tracy’s ex-husband C.K. Dexter Haven, shows up at the family mansion on the weekend of the wedding with two tabloid journalists, Elizabeth Imrie and Macaulay Connor, in tow to ruin the wedding. But as charade is pitted against charade, the weekend takes an unexpected turn when Macaulay becomes attracted to Tracy and familial dramas rattle her so much that she takes to drink, making for an interesting and scandalous pre-nuptials night. 

This is a wonderful little slapstick romantic comedy, much better than its musical reincarnation: High Society. The performances, the chemistry, the wit, and the script were all just marvellous, making The Philadelphia Story a classic that I’m very proud to have in my collection. 

After her first marriage ends on less than friendly terms, heiress Tracy Lord tries to prove that she is not impossible to love by getting engaged to marry the wealthy and respectable, though dull and colourless, George Kittredge. Getting wind of her plans, Tracy’s ex-husband C.K. Dexter Haven, shows up at the family mansion on the weekend of the wedding with two tabloid journalists, Elizabeth Imrie and Macaulay Connor, in tow to ruin the wedding. But as charade is pitted against charade, the weekend takes an unexpected turn when Macaulay becomes attracted to Tracy and familial dramas rattle her so much that she takes to drink, making for an interesting and scandalous pre-nuptials night. 

It’s said that playwright Phillip Barry based his leading female star in the Broadway play on the unattractive reputation that Katherine Hepburn had at the time, having left RKO on rough currents. The common consensus was that Hepburn was stoic, bossy and unfeminine, making her the hard girl to love. Katherine, needless to say, starred in the original Broadway production and The Philadelphia Story ultimately was her baby, her owning the rights to it, selling it to MGM, and having a direct hand in the casting: originally Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable were desired for the lead roles but were unavailable. 

The script is an absolute work of genius, rightly winning Donald Ogden Stewart the Academy Award for Best Screenplay. It’s snappy, fast-paced, dramatic, romantic, and fuelled with the right amount of venom and snideness. Brilliant, brilliant, BRILLIANT! 

Katherine Hepburn reprises her role from stage as Tracy Lord, the unreadable, unfathomable Goddess herself. Director George Cukor really made her negative reputation work in her favour with this film, with Katherine delivering a performance that was harsh, confused, snide, and just that little bit childlike. She was divine. 

Cary Grant, normally quite the funny man and centre of attention, takes a bit of a back seat as Tracy’s ex-husband Dexter. He delivers a performance that’s jestingly sadistic but still very much in love with Tracy. He’s always lovely. 

But without a doubt, the real star of the show is James Stewart who stars as Macaulay Connor and came away with the Academy Award for Best Actor. Stewart holds the audience in rapture; beginning the film as grumpy and vengeful and then transforming into a charming romantic reminiscent of his iconic “I’ll give you the moon” scene in It’s a Wonderful Life. 

Starring Ruth Hussey, John Howard, Roland Young, John Halliday, Mary Nash, and Virginia Weilder, The Philadelphia Story is a wonderful movie and a real classic that I think should never have been murdered to brutally as it was when it was made into High Society. Filled with wit, drama, romance, and comedy, it’s just wonderful and a perfect way to fill one’s afternoon.