• Director: Kelly Marcel
• Screenwriter: Kelly Marcel
• Cast: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu, Clark Backo, Alanna Ubach
• Cinematography: Fabian Wagner
• Editing: Mark Sanger
• Score: Dan Deacon
• Genre: Superhero
• Runtime: 109 minutes

Following the chaos of ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage‘, Eddie Brock (and Venom) are fugitives hiding out in Mexico. In a bid to clear Brock’s name in New York City, the pair take a road trip of sorts to get there. I can’t fathom spending any time with the annoying symbiote, constantly wisecracking with a gravelly Christian Bale-esque voice. Throw me out the van, please.

Hot on their trail are government soldiers (led by Chiwetel Ejiofor), intent on capturing Venom for their research on alien symbiotes, aided by Area 51 scientists (Juno Temple and Clark Backo). Meanwhile, some imprisoned evil force seeks ‘the Codex’, the vaguest of MacGuffins created once a symbiote brings its host back to life (which happened to Eddie in the original ‘Venom‘). This confusing bad guy lore bogs the movie down; it works better when there’s action sequences, especially the final showdown within the Area 51 compound. Another highlight is Rhys Ifans’ extraterrestrial-obsessed hippie and his family the duo meet en route.

The only other returning characters from the first two ‘Venoms‘ are Mulligan (Stephen Graham, bridging the gap between the previous installment and this film) and Mrs. Chen, the convenience store owner who randomly pops up in Las Vegas, clearly living her best life. Gone is the emotional baggage of Eddie’s broken relationship with Anne Weying. Instead, we have the symbiosis of Eddie and his old friend and its looming conclusion. Their ‘last dance’. I say ‘old friend’; it transpires the events of the trilogy have occurred in the space of a single year. Madness.

A schmaltzy goodbye later…but before long, there’s not one, but two post-credits scenes that undo this rare attempt to end a franchise by setting up a future storyline. I mean, I’m not surprised but this Hollywood trend of pumping needless sequels out is tiresome.

My rating: 5 / 10