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Who knew a film about crossing a symbiote with a human would prove to be a rip-roaring delight? “Venom” is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The movie is the first chapter in Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters. It was released on Oct. 5, 2018.
Venom is one of several extraterrestrial lifeforms, aka symbiotes, who hitched a ride to earth with the intent of annihilating humankind. He grew attached to his host and decided to remain in San Francisco, California. Ultimately, the merged-duo work together to save the Earth from extinction.
Tom Hardy is brilliant in his role as the main character, video-journalist, Eddie Brock. In his first vlog of the film, he talks about missing persons and wonders aloud why no one else seems to notice their disappearances.
Brock’s boss forces him to do a non-accusatory interview of Carlton Drake the owner the Life Foundation. Contrary to instruction, Brock hits Drake with tough questions, of which he gets no answers. In fact, the interview is quickly shut down, resulting in both Brock and his fiance, Anne Weying played by Michelle Williams are fired from their respective jobs.
Drake, played by Riz Ahmed, is a man of dubious ethics. He claims the Earth is doomed and through his foundation believes he uncovered a way to for humans to survive life off-planet.
In Drake’s callous disregard for the safety of humanity, he sent up a manned rocket to seek answers. Upon reentry, the vehicle burst into flames and crash landed somewhere in Asia. One of the symbiote specimens escapes and attaches itself to the first carbon breathing being it can merge with. Riot, also played by Ahmed enters and leaves several hosts before finding one traveling to San Francisco.
Meanwhile, Drake’s thugs are relieving the streets of its homeless one person at a time to use as experimental guinea pigs. The seemingly successful mergers of human and symbiotes bolster Drake’s maniacal confidence.
One of the scientists, Dr. Dora Skirth played by Jenny Slate, does not like the experiments on human subjects. She feels Drake unethically moved too fast to human trials. Dr. Skirth reaches out to Brock begging him to investigate the evil-doings in the lab.
Marvel’s “Venom” storyline rollicks ahead unveiling why the alien-beings chose to come to earth. When Brock merges with the symbiote, who calls himself Venom, his misadventures reveal why Drake’s experiments are failing. As the Brock comes to understand how to live as a host, he slowly becomes the typical comic book hero/antihero. The combination of Brock’s natural strength and Venom’s supernatural abilities give the duo seemingly unbeatable super-human abilities.
While Brock/Venom grow accustomed to one another, Riot takes over Drake’s body. Eager to retrieve the millions of other symbiotes, Riot uses Drake’s natural disregard for human life to achieve the aliens’ agenda. Their relaunching of the spaceship is ultimately thwarted after a vicious battle between Venom and Riot.
The battle scenes between the two are tense and leave the audience wondering. Brock survived. Did Venom?
Throughout the film, the audience is treated to standard good vs. evil with Marvel movies’ typical dash of humor and romance. Stan Lee’s usual cameo appearance was quirky. Sadly, “Venom” was one of the last movies in which Marvel fans will be entertained by Lee since he passed away on Nov. 12, 2018.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
IMDb: Venom
Fandom: Eddie Brock
Fandom: Venom
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License