Venom comes out of the closet

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a nice improvement over the first Venom movie that was distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing back in 2018. 

From the beginning, the tone is set for this October movie debut with creepy music and a dark set. Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady has his shot at playing a disturbed individual in love with Frances Barrison, known as Shriek in the comic books. Tom Hardy returns at Eddie Brock an investigative journalist who interviews Kasady in a cell, then is bitten by him, creating Carnage. This deadly symbiote is ready for battle and the final clash between the two is everything one would expect. My eyes are still recovering days later and funnily enough, I bit my tongue running to this screening. My mouth has almost healed and no longer looks like a Venom's tongue!

Remember when comic book adaptions for the big screen were fun? This Columbia Pictures project has a sense of humor about it and the writing is not bogged down with too much of a plot. The hour and a half running time is refreshing after these long, drawn-out superhero movies recently. In theater as well as movies, a good story can be concise and told within a reasonable amount of time. This one does without taking itself too seriously in the process. 

There's a whole plotline where the alien Venom escapes from his host body allowing him to essentially come out of the closet. He even has a coming-out party with the underdogs of the city. Being different is something many of us identify with and it is celebrated onscreen in Venom. 

There's a chicken named Cher and more wigs in this cast than an episode of RuPaul's Drag Race for gay fans of this franchise. Woody Harrelson looks a bit silly in this regard, but his quirky character somehow pulls it off. Watch those edges, Woody!

The film is directed by Andy Serkis, who knows his way around special effects after playing Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. Serkis has a strong background to show his cast how to react to green screens and surrounding pyrotechnics. Carnage heads down the video game route by the end with the action sequences but is kept rooted in reality and fortunately not too cumbersome for the eyeballs. It's a rollercoaster that is recommended to be seen on the big screen, so put on your mask and pick a theater near you. 

Who wants to buy my comic with the first appearance of Venom? Because the price tag is going up. Moving Venom into the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to be fun to watch with Hardy and the gang. Stick around for the post-credits scene for a sneak peek. 

Venom: Let There Be Carnage bites into theaters on October 1. I wish I had Venom to help me write more stories. Until then, True Believers, I am ready for Venom 3: Spiderman and Friends!