Elena Morey
A&E Editor
The newly released movie “Venom,” in association with Marvel Studios, was quite the hit in movie theatres. Fans of the comic, the general public and fans of Marvel flocked to see it. At first, the film clearly takes a new spin on the classic character. The message of ‘‘in association’’ clearly influences the film. Key elements that hardcore Venom fans cannot find in the film suggests how Marvel is taking a step back with “Venom,” curious to see how a generalized audience accepts the new character. This leaves true fans a little empty at the end of the film, but generic moviegoers learn something new.
The Marvel universe has many nuanced characters. Some of the most interesting anti-heroes are the symbiotes. They are an alien race deep in space who find their way to Earth. Here, they must bond with a human host to survive. The host must be a perfect match, or the host and symbiote will die. In the canon Marvel universe, there are only a few symbiotes that are significant, and “Venom” isn’t afraid to hint at one of the greatest, scariest and sometimes funniest Marvel characters, to even rival DC’s Joker, at the end of the film.
“Venom” itself reveals the origins of Eddie Brock and Venom. The symbiote is portrayed as an entirely new personality, thus making Eddie appear to have multiple personality disorder. Eddie, played by Tom Hardy, does a fantastic job capturing the realistic reactions to hearing voices and using Venom’s powers. Sometimes humorous and other times sad, the audience roots for the underdog as he strengthens his moral code fighting for what he believes in. As a reporter, he seeks the truth and to expose the wrongs in the world around him.
In “Venom,” CEO of the Life Foundation experiments with these symbiotes, and the villain bonds with an evil creature who wishes to bring his entire species to Earth and destroy all of mankind. Venom plots with host Eddie, planning to stop the other symbiote. Eddie wishes to stop the CEO, while Venom turns on his own kind. This interesting mutual bond makes the two different personalities work together despite their strange moral codes. At first, Eddie just wants to be the “good guy.” However, as the film progresses, the power he gains from Venom is evident. This leads audience members who are familiar with Venom’s future to eagerly await future movies or cameos that might hint to him achieving his eventual villain status in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Obviously, Venom and Spiderman are often paired together as two sides of the same coin, and fans cannot wait to see the two of them go head-to-head on the big screen.
The film as a whole is shot at a rapid pace. The audience experiences flashes and quick cuts and pans. This plays on the film’s theme by enhancing disorienting feeling Eddie goes through with the symbiote. Hardy’s intermittent realistically sad humor also enhances the real feeling of the film, causing the audience to sympathize with his pitiful undoing. Yet, one can only hope to see the notorious villain hit his stride in the MCU and stop denying his true nature.
The special effects are well done and seamlessly integrated into the film as a whole. The film was originally made to be rated R, and as some keen filmgoers notice, the camera cuts away just before some serious gore takes place on screen. Hoping to appeal to a broader audience, Marvel made crucial edits in the final stages in the editing room to earn the film its PG-13 rating.
As a whole, the film reveals a new character for the MCU to incorporate and captures the unique dynamic between Venom and Eddie, making one wonder if Eddie is going to be used for his body, or if Venom and his host are equal partners in crimes to come.