While investigating Carlton Drake (Ahmed), the notorious and brilliant founder of the Life Foundation, journalist Eddie Brock's (Hardy) body merges with the alien Venom, leaving him with superhuman strength. Fueled by rage, Venom tries to control the new and dangerous abilities that Eddie finds so intoxicating.
This is what a series of bad decisions stretched out over a very long development history looks like. Venom wants to be a darkly comedic body-horror and a compelling anti-hero comic book caper. It also tries to shock life back into Sony's sub-Marvel mini-verse, which seemingly died along with the Amazing Spider-Man films. It only succeeds in being a supremely average film that mostly frustrates and baffles rather than thrills.
There are a few nice laughs to be had both with and at Venom. It's a silly, cartoonish misfire that's bloody hard to enjoy, but somehow also hard to hate.
Venom is neither triumph nor train-wreck. It's a mediocre origin story, a superhero host that sadly fails to bond with its comedy parasite.
Tom Hardy looks like he's just running with it, he knows its absolutely insane and he's just like a kid in a lolly shop making his performance so nutty and full pelt over the top that it works, its entertaining just because he makes it so . What doesn't work is that the audience doesn't really care about any of the characters, to me thats where it's a let down. Great action but no substance. Choppy with weird plot jumps and scenes that don't gel . This would have made a better series on Netflix than a movie plagued with a troubled production, because it shows, boy does it show.