Tom Hardy has all the edginess and brawn to pull off the role of anti-hero Eddie Brock in Sony Marvel’s Venom. This film is far from the glorious, polished and glamourous superhero films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It treats the attainment of superpowers as more of a bad hangover or a case of worms than any big reveal of strength and power, which means that Hardy almost always looks tired and sweaty.
A reluctant hero, Eddie fights his new power almost until the very end but eventually decides to work with it for good. The issues that fuel the Life foundation’s villainous scientific endeavours are relevant and therefore understandable to the audience. Riz Ahmed’s Carlton Drake is a classic villain who is toying with powers bigger than himself but it is a nice change to see a South Asian actor play the intelligent villain. Michelle Williams shares great chemistry with Hardy as his ex-fiancé and never comes across as a damsel in distress.
The car-motorbike chase is a good way to demonstrate the symbiotes power as well as how overpowered Eddie is becoming. The San Francisco hills add some extra danger to it as well. The battle between Venom and Riot is reminiscent of a video game in its animation but that doesn’t make it any less epic as a finale. Overall, Sony has proven that they can make just as good a superhero film without the backing of Disney.
‘Venom’ is available to stream on Netflix.
Pep Reviews 