In 'Venom', audiences were treated to the budding (b)romance of snarking symbiote Venom and all-round disaster and lobster assassin Eddie Brock.
It was a pretty standard odd couple/buddy cop storyline – but if the OG was a buddy cop revamp, 'Let There Be Carnage' is an absolute, murder-y romcom. Things aren’t great for Eddie and Venom – Eddie is trying to change Venom while the symbiote is trying to set up that threesome between themselves and Eddie’s ex, and growing increasingly resentful of that whole ‘no eating people’ rule. Throw in an obsessive serial killer who acts like he’s not entirely sure if he wants to kiss or kill Eddie, and an unexpected murder child, and the fun and gorey kind of chaos ensues.
I didn’t know romcom-adjacent bloodbaths were a thing, but we’ve officially found my favourite movie genre. 'Venom 2' is ridiculous fun, gleefully leaning into the weirdness of fandom while still managing the sort of ass-kicking free-for-all it’s impossible not to love. 'Let There Be Carnage' is an action movie that doesn’t take itself seriously – even better, it’s action with intelligence, rich with sympathetic characters facing concerningly relatable challenges (I mean the interpersonal ones, not the violent ones).
I'll be honest, hyped as I was, I had reservations. . . I am 97 per cent certain you cannot be intimidated by anyone named Cletus. Add in that Woody Harrelson’s expression on the promo poster is more ‘creepy guy you try and avoid at the bar’ than Hannibal Lecter, and there’s a disconnect from the typical supervillain that works so much better than expected.
There’s something deeply unsettling about Cletus (even beyond the idea he ignored a perfectly good first name to go by Cletus) and giving him a sympathetic storyline beyond ‘evil for the LOLs’ elevates what could have been just another dodgy villain into a far more human, and interesting, monster than anticipated.
Important for any monster mayhem, the CGI is spectacular – there are moments it’s difficult to remember that symbiotes aren’t actually globbing snarkily about the countryside – and the Carnage roar makes the 'Jurassic Park' t-rex sound cute in comparison. And while the rapid, almost shaky cam approach to the fight scenes might not be fun for those with light and motion sensitivities, for those unbothered by quick shifting lights, it’s spellbinding to watch.
If you’re looking for the typical ‘big on bang, low on plot’ action flick, or action with righteous heroes and unsympathetic villains, this may not be your ideal cup of whoop-ass. But if you like your anti-hero murder sprees comedic, with interesting plotlines and characters you can’t help but love and relate to, 'Venom: Let There Be Carnage' is a must-see.
And, as always, remember to linger a few minutes for the bonus scene.
'Venom: Let There Be Carnage' hits cinemas 25 November.
