The Matrix Resurrections

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

The Matrix Resurrections is the fourth film in The Matrix series and picks up sixty years from where the third film left off. In this future we see a young crew of freedom fighters trying to discover the location of Neo and rescue him from a new Matrix that has been built by a new power amongst the machines. At the core of this film is a romantic story that I think transcends all other narrative failings. The link between Neo and Trinity is so dynamic and I think the way their love pushes back against conflict is such a valuable theme for this feature. The cinematography for the film continues to be fairly impressive, with a wide variety of shots and this continued sense of experimentation in how the Matrix is presented to the audience. The special effects are fairly good, the design of sci-fi landscapes and machine characters in particular is a strength of the film. The score for the feature is a brilliant return to the sound of the trilogy we're all familiar with up until this point; Jefferson Airplane's 'White Rabbit' being the anthem for the film is such a perfect move as well.

 

Keanu Reeves, who played Neo, is a solid return as the protagonist for the fourth time in a row; Reeves plays strongly to his role's detached connection to the illusion of the Matrix and also his yearning to reunite with Moss' Trinity. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who played Morpheus/Agent Smith, performs extremely creatively with quite a uniquely written character; Abdul-Mateen has a knack for taking some of the best traits previously presented by Fishburne and Weaving and making them his own. Neil Patrick Harris, who played The Analyst, is a brilliant antagonist for this film and one of the very real highlights; Harris has a lot of fun going from the straight edge therapist to the wild and arrogant computer program villain. Jada Pinkett Smith, who played Niobe, is a wonderful returning performance that has evolved spectacularly; seeing Smith deliver a more rigid leader who makes some severe calls for the sake of her people is a fitting direction for this role.

However, the best performance came from Carrie-Anne Moss, who played Trinity. Moss is as much a name you associate with the Matrix films as you would Reeves or Laurence Fishburne. This feature strongly reminds us why that is, the moment we see Reeves and Moss together again onscreen you feel the familiar spark of chemistry. Seeing Moss play to this domesticated, docile character while maintaining her steely edge is really interesting. From there we begin to see the familiar signs of Trinity as Moss plays to this sense of disillusionment from her own reality. Seeing this character struggle with a sense of what is real and what is safe is fascinating, ultimately leading to her powerful reconnection with Reeves' Neo. I loved seeing Trinity in action again, her desperately propelling Neo to safety before ultimately claiming her own power within the Matrix. The final scene in which Moss establishes dominance over the machine faction is nothing short of impressive.

The Matrix Resurrections has a first act that really lets itself down, marking it as a confused and ill-fitting addition to the franchise. The opening introduction to Bugs and the Morpheus/Smith program is quite jarring and not a very nice return to the world. Immediately we are heaped with more questions than answers and the film is very sporadic in actually providing answers that actually make sense. Then we return to Neo and it becomes abundantly clear that the director/writer for this film decided to do a twenty minute to half hour segment just for them. We get this character arc in which Neo believes himself to be a video game designer who made a game called the Matrix, published by Warner Bros. The film takes a hard time out to make a wad of self-referential jokes, meta observations about themes of previous films and put Neo on a character journey that just really does little to convince the audience the link to the past is being upheld well. This film brings back old characters but doesn't use them for any sort of deeper purpose; the Morpheus/Agent Smith program is an odd role that feels like a nicer idea on paper than in practice, while returning characters like Smith himself or Sati become very convoluted missteps. The film keeps pushing at trying to sound like it has some weighty ideas to contribute but then delivers with the subtlety of a brick to the head. There's even a scene at one point in which a crazed program garbles an odd monologue about spectacle, sequels, franchises and Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook in what feels like a fever dream moment of script writing. Seeing a returning character like Niobe is sort of hollow because you don't feel like anything was gained from the last actions of the third film, even Morpheus feels like a character cast aside insincerely. The big heist to get Trinity back is an overzealous push to be this big and showy sci-fi romp while losing all the intrigue of previous instalments. The editing for the film is quite poor in the sense the flow is constantly interrupted by flashbacks to archival footage from previous films, there is a real sense of tell not show visually throughout the feature.

Jonathan Groff, who played Smith, is about as far from Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith as one could imagine; Groff lacks the inherent menace of the character and often feels like he's delivering a parody performance. Jessica Henwick, who played Bugs, is a new protagonist introduced who just does not add anything to this series; Henwick is such a stoic figure throughout and shows a serious lack of emotional range nor ability to lead a scene. Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who played Sati, is an exposition heavy role that Jonas delivers in a very dull manner; This entire character is quite a last minute add to the mix and Jonas just doesn't connect well with the flow of the film.

A firm reminder that some film series just don't need to be 'resurrected'. I would give The Matrix Resurrections a 3.5/10.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

This review may contain spoilers!

 

 Spider-Man: No Way Home is the third Spider-Man film in the MCU and the 27th MCU feature. In this film we follow directly off the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home with Peter's identity being exposed to the world and being framed for the death of Mysterio. Now Peter must grapple with his desire to live a normal life and the adversity of being a superhero exposed to the view of the world. Things go from bad to worse when Peter seeks the aid of Doctor Strange to help solve his issues, unwittingly releasing a far greater interdimensional threat. This film really measures up what it means to be Spider-Man, basically rounding out this 'coming of age' journey Holland's Spidey has been on. Within this film Peter comes up against obstacle after obstacle, always trying to find solutions in service of his loved ones rather than himself. The film then goes further by giving Peter a challenge to redeem and save others who don't necessarily deserve his help. A lot of the feature sees him grappling with his desire to give others a second chance while the hurt this good intention places back on him. The film defines that classic saying "with great power, comes great responsibility" and shackles it firmly to Peter now and forever. This film has such a unique way of introducing the antagonists and it becomes one of the more brilliant fantastical elements I've seen in a superhero feature. The film draws heavily off films that have come before it, there are little nods to numerous films and multiple direct references that make this a phenomenal story for the fans. The ending is very poignant but ringed with optimism, it felt like the exact tone you'd hit at the end of a Spider-Man comic run. The cinematography is grand and filled with shots that feel like frames jumping out of a graphic novel. The special effects are exceptional and varied, the fight between Strange and Peter is a triumph while the designs for each villain looks great too. The score for the film is a fantastic soundscape with a number of tributes to classic scores of past Spidey films.

 

Zendaya, who played MJ, is a wonderful match for Holland's Peter Parker; she is extraordinarily stubborn and tough in the face of peril which really aids and bolsters our young hero. Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Doctor Strange, has a stern maturity that separates him well from our younger hero; I think Cumberbatch plays well to a hero who deals in absolutes which generates nice conflict in the film. Jacob Batalon, who played Ned Leeds, continues to be hysterical as Spider-Man's best friend and 'guy in the chair'; Batalon returns to that more aloof and easy-going style that worked so well for him in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Jon Favreau, who played Happy Hogan, has a very dry sense of humour that works incredibly well for his scenes; he also has this gentle protector relationship with Peter that lends itself to some key emotional scenes. Jamie Foxx, who played Max Dillon, is a very different Electro from what we saw in Amazing Spider-Man 2 and honestly that works out for the best; Foxx is a quick-witted power-hungry villain with quite selfish intentions throughout.Willem Dafoe, who played Norman Osborn, really steals the show as one of the leading antagonists for this film; Dafoe lends himself to the duality and the scenes in which he plays the Goblin are monstrous and unpredictable. Alfred Molina, who played Dr. Otto Octavius, is a really engaging antagonist with his wild personality and tendency towards explosive outbursts; Molina embodies yet another heartwarming redemption arc that works every point in its entirety. Benedict Wong, who played Wong, has a nice terse relationship with Cumberbatch's Strange that makes their scene together; it was nice seeing Wong portray the warning before the storm in this feature. Marisa Tomei, who played May Parker, is the very epitome of the film's moral compass; Tomei and Holland's last scene together is the best scene they've ever shared together in my opinion. J.K. Simmons, who played J. Jonah Jameson, is born for this role and dusts it off like he never stopped playing the part. hearing Simmons become the voice of all the adversity Peter Parker is up against makes the classic struggle between these two come to life. Thomas Haden Church, who played Flint Marko, is the classic empowered bruiser indifferent to the battles of right and wrong; Church brings forth a character who is far from an antagonist but very much a free agent just wanting to be able to live his life the way he chooses to. Andrew Garfield, who played Peter Parker, steps back into the role and is immediately as humorous and entertaining as he ever was; seeing Garfield continue to play the grief his character feels about losing Gwen so heavily is what makes him such a brilliant performer. Rhys Ifans, who played Dr. Curt Connors, is far more monstrous than he has ever been before; hearing Ifans as something so content in his bestial form makes him a far better antagonist than his initial debut. Tobey Maguire, who played Peter Parker, is a return performance that is strongly welcomed and a pleasure to watch; Maguire's wiser Spider-Man is a real mentor to Holland and lifts him through some very trying scenes.

However, the best performance came from Tom Holland, who played Peter Parker. This is a protagonist who has lead all of his films with exceptional ability but has always been eclipsed by a seasoned veteran performer often in the antagonist role. Yet I feel this film is the culmination of Holland's experience with the role, you can see just how much he has matured while playing Peter Parker. At the beginning we see a very vulnerable Parker, a young man who is grappling with feeling exposed and struggling to have a normal college future. Yet Holland still deals Parker as this overtly polite, yet awkward young man who struggles his way through his problems. As things begin to unfold and go off the rails it's really intriguing to see Parker work towards second chances for individuals who don't seem like good people. But Holland works strongly towards the values behind the feature, playing the heavy moments of grief and the more difficult moments of pushing forward without vengeance. I loved seeing Peter Parker struggle between a need for vengeance and doing the right thing by his own moral code. It's a moment that he comes up against time and time again and seeing him throw himself forward every single time makes him a brilliant onscreen hero to watch. The romantic chemistry between Holland and Zendaya is heartwarming and in a lot of ways emotionally heavy, the work these two do in this film makes me so excited for whatever sequel we're in store for next.

The film has a couple of moments where the action slows for a bit longer than really necessary, dragging out the pacing somewhat. When Peter allies himself with the antagonists for a time the pacing slows and then later when he gains some new allies the film really takes sometime out before the final confrontation.

Tony Revolori, who played Flash Thompson, is a comedic bit that has never really worked wonders in these films; Revolori is supposed to be portraying a bully to Peter Parker but you never once feel that authentically in his portrayal.

The best superhero feature of 2021 and nothing short of a love letter to over two decades of superhero media. I would give Spider-Man: No Way Home a 9/10.

 

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a far flung sequel to Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2, following the grandchildren of Egon Spengler as they embark on their own paranormal adventure. Trevor and Phoebe must uncover the secrets of their grandfather's past before the dark spirit, Gozer, rises again. This is a film that pays extra special attention to those moments tying it to the originals. We slowly see the Ecto-1, proton packs being used, Egon reconnecting with his daughter, classic ghost designs, Gozer, the original Ghostbusters and even an extremely tasteful return of Egon Spengler as a ghost. Each of these scenes feels like a love letter to fans of the original films and the care paid to these moments makes you really feel the wonder in chasing after ghosts. I also enjoyed how this feature really leaned into the horror element of Ghostbusters, the film wasn't afraid to include a few strong jump scares to heighten the fear factor of the antagonists. The thrill of scenes like the kids chasing their first ghost or the final confrontation with Gozer are definite engaging high points. The special effects look extremely good; I loved the designs for the Hellhounds, the mini-pufts and the paranormal vistas for the final act. The score for the feature is a wonderful link to the original films and the wonder of a new generation of Ghostbusters; the soundtrack for the film was also a nice selection of tracks that worked well for the American Midwest setting.

 

Paul Rudd, who played Grooberson, isn't the most important role to the film but is certainly a very fun aspect of it; I think Rudd has a very light presence that draws the wit out of a scene and his co-stars. Finn Wolfhard, who played Trevor, is a great leading performer and has a great sibling chemistry with Grace; Wolfhard has that indifferent teenage exterior but works very hard to find his place in the town as the film goes along. Logan Kim, who played Podcast, is a very energetic young performer who is extremely entertaining to watch; the way he quips about his character's podcast makes for an extremely fun running gag. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson, who played Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore respectively, immediately have the same quickfire chemistry with one another that has been sorely missed; Murray's ever-present comedic delivery is a standout.

 

However, the best performance came from McKenna Grace, who played Phoebe. This is a young performer who has such incredible range across a wide variety of roles already at such an early point of her career. As Phoebe we are introduced to a young girl who doesn't socialize easily, preferring to follow her scientific pursuits and interest instead. Grace presents Phoebe as being self-conscious around others and afraid of not fitting in, despite her very blunt and forthright exterior. I loved seeing the development of the role's confidence as she connects with her grandfather's Ghostbusters past. Watching Grace be the strongest source of comedy in the film with her deadpan jokes coupled by her convincing science expert portrayal makes her the most genuine Ghostbuster onscreen. McKenna Grace is an absolute natural and leads this film with an expertise beyond her years.

Ghostbusters as a series of films has always been the world of a horror film completely guided by comedic elements and storytelling. The unfortunate issue with Ghostbusters: Afterlife is that it really flounders when it comes to being funny, a lot of the humour is a very dry or sarcastic wit that doesn't really land with the story being told. There isn't a lot of comedic powerhouses in the main cast and I think this does ultimately show in the final product. The story around the Spenglers moving out to an unfamiliar country town and having to adjust to their new surroundings makes for a very slow paced first and second act that isn't very engaging most of the time. The film struggles with introducing supporting characters; Grooberson is a fun side character but serves little purpose to the plot, while the sub-plot romance between Trevor and Lucky is very generic. The entire supernatural plot is a little poorly cobbled together, the explanation behind Gozer and Ivo Shandor isn't very well done or clear. The cinematography for the feature looks good in a couple of the action scenes but ultimately is quite basic in design, each shot is chiefly a very static wide shot or a steady special effects shot.

Carrie Coon, who played Callie, doesn't do anything especially engaging as the bitter down on her luck single Mum; Coon really struggles with the comedic elements of the film and doesn't find a lot of room for variety in her role. Celeste O'Connor, who played Lucky, is a side character who really doesn't fit nicely into the feature; O'Connor and Wolfhard have no chemistry and she is very awkwardly inserted into the group dynamic in the final act. Annie Potts, who played Janine Melnitz, is a very quiet cameo that doesn't have the same impact as the others; Potts has a quick moment of exposition and a pretty stoic delivery before shuffling out as quickly as she came.

This film has some great action and nods to the original Ghostbusters but that's about where the favourable ties to the past end. I would give Ghostbusters: Afterlife a 6/10.

 

Dune

 

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Dune is an adaptation of Frank Herbert's famed novel of the same name, a science-fiction work that has inspired many of the great extraterrestrial epics. The film follows Paul Atreides, heir to the House Atreides and gifted with the same powers wielded by the psychic Bene Gesserit. In this film Paul must navigate his place in the designs of the galaxy as the house of Atreides and Harkonnen are propelled into a civil war for the planet Arrakis. The most compelling aspect of this film is seeing the complex conflict between Atreides and Harkonnen unfold, seeing the drive for duty from our protagonists pushed against the all-consuming greed of the Harkonnens is fascinating. Beyond this watching how a distant off-screen emperor makes light political plays to push these large and powerful families into an inevitable war. I enjoyed how Arrakis was represented, a wild world to be coveted for its value while those native to the world are ravaged by an Empire it stands apart from. The themes of imperialism and contrasts to how the West has exploited nations for gold, oil and other resources is perfectly caught here. The cinematography throughout the feature is incredibly immersive and impressive in scale, the number of wide, establishing shots that take in the massive sets and visual effects are jaw-dropping. The effects themselves are unlike anything else I have seen this year, each location or vehicle or even creature feels entirely real which shows the careful care put into this feature. The score for the film is raw with power and variety, there are a number of tracks that stand out but I have to especially say I loved the use of bagpipes in a couple of key scenes.

 

Timothée Chalamet, who played Paul Atreides, does a fairly adequate job as the protagonist for the feature; Chalamet plays well to grappling with his role's sense of greater destiny versus desire to be useful and active in the present. Oscar Isaac, who played Duke Leto Atreides, is wonderful as the firmly spoken leader of House Atreides; Isaac plays a regal persona very well and I thought his sense of care for those he serves was a great character trait. Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista and David Dastmalchian, who played Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Beast Rabban Harkonnen and Piter de Vries respectively, were absolutely menacing as the central antagonists of the film; I especially loved the cold yet superior portrayal of Dastmalchian as the advisory character. Josh Brolin, who played Gurney Halleck, was very imposing as the military leader of Atreides; his stern demeanour and ferocity in the training scene made him a force to be reckoned with. Javier Bardem, who played Stilgar, is intriguing as one of the first natives of Arrakis we meet; Bardem plays an air of indifference and hostility which fits very well with the themes of colonialism his character represents. Zendaya, who played Chani, is a more aloof character who is intrigued by Paul and eager to see him fight with honour; I liked seeing the contrast of Zendaya as a vision for Paul's future versus the woman of Arrakis we actually come to meet. Charlotte Rampling, who played Reverend Mother Mohiam, is quite a fearsome figure in the film; Rampling presents a figure brimming with power who everyone seems to fear which was a fascinating force to see played out onscreen.

However, the best performance came from Jason Momoa, who played Duncan Idaho. I loved this role so much because Momoa really inhabited, he made you so utterly convinced he was living within this world. When first we meet Duncan he is this larger than life charismatic soldier for House Atreides, very self-confident and highly capable the moment he appears. There is this lively energy to him and he has some great chemistry with Chalamet that locks this pair as interesting friends. As the film goes along we get to see Momoa play the deep respect of a native people as his role comes to live among them and learn from them. We also see his full capability as a fearsome warrior who can take on multiple hostiles in an all out duel. The deep seated hurt and rage he holds at seeing the House he is so loyal to ambushed and nearly extinguished is one of the aspects that makes that scene so very moving. An incredibly performance from Momoa who is really start to express his range across his projects now.

Watching Dune is a strange thing, there is so much here from the novel that inspired a lot of the most famous stories in the science-fiction genre; the scale of this piece is flawless in its design really. But in a number of other ways there is no escaping the age of the text that this film is based off of and how played out some of the plot aspects are. I was very underwhelmed with the story of Paul Atreides and his 'destiny', purely because it is a very generic Chosen One narrative that has been played out before. The irony here of course is that Dune is one of the books that really got the wheel turning on this trope in the first place, but now in 2021 seeing a young boy who is the only son of a noble family born with special gifts fated for greatness is a story I have seen. I think there were a lot of ways the narrative could have been tended to to make this more engaging but the fact is Paul's path is paved for him before the film really begins; I never watched a scene feeling like he had to struggle for his future. Paul goes through a lot of loss, which is a hardship but he never really experiences a conflict that he can't personally win. I also felt the movie overloaded itself a bit with side plots, minor characters and world-building. All of these assets are fascinating in their own right but it did lead to scenes with heavy blocks of exposition or rushed moments where something is being talked about but there's no context. This film is marketed as the next epic akin to features like Lord of the Rings, but I felt like I was watching something similar to The Hobbit.

Rebecca Ferguson, who played Lady Jessica Atreides, is a bit scattered in her performance throughout the film; Ferguson portrays intense fear in one moment then an almost ruthless capability the next but none of these traits blend together into a fully realised character. Stephen McKinley Henderson, who played Thufir Hawat, is one advisory role too many in the Atreides ensemble; Henderson is almost entirely a font of some of the more dull exposition in the feature. Sharon Duncan-Brewster, who played Dr. Liet Kynes, is such a stoic and expressionless character that she becomes hard to relate to; this is a character who has a lot of complexity to her identity and the surface of that is barely scratched. Chang Chen, who played Dr. Wellington Yueh, is a somewhat important figure who is used very minimally; Chen is playing a figure who flips on the protagonists but he is barely onscreen for this to have the desired effect of the plot twist. Babs Olusanmokun, who played Jamis, is quite an abrupt antagonist to end the feature on; Olusanmokun has this very clipped two-dimensional aggression towards the protagonists that leads to a rushed confrontation scene that the film peters out on.

 

A cinematic paradox in a number of ways; one of the most visually impressive feats of 2021 but with a narrative that feels extremely dull and relies too heavily on a 'chosen one' storyline. I would give Dune  a 6.5/10.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the sequel to 2018's Venom, this time seeing our two protagonists face off against a psychopathic serial killer armed with his own symbiote. Initially in the first act we get to see a lot of the more compelling aspects around how Eddie and Venom's relationship has developed, and how they can utilise one another to solve mysteries. I thought this quite an engaging new direction for the pair to take and it laid out some groundwork for them becoming a hero. As small of a plot point that it was I also enjoyed seeing how Eddie and Venom reacted to Anne in this film, pining for her and struggling to move on made for a nice aspect of continuation from the first film. The special effects are probably the main reason to see this feature as they are definitely a step up from the first feature; the detailing on the symbiotes looks nice and they stepped up how symbiotes look fighting one another which is one of the vast improvements.

 

Woody Harrelson, who played Cletus Kasady, really proves his mettle as an actor in this film by doing some great work with such a poorly written antagonist; Harrelson feels a little wild and unpredictable and very consistent in his undying love for Harris' role. Michelle Williams, who played Anne Weying, wasn't my favourite role in the first film but really stands out as a top performer in the sequel; this time around Williams gets to have more fun in attempting to mend the relationship between Hardy's two lead characters. Peggy Lu, who played Mrs Chen, is one of the best side characters from either Venom film; Lu's terse yet caring relationship for Eddie and Venom is a nice continuation from where we last left these characters.

However, the best performance came from Tom Hardy, who played Eddie Brock and Venom. These films have always consistently been carried by a very steady performance from the leading performer. The great thing about Eddie is that he isn't a classic superhero, he carries a certain level of selfishness and indifference with him wherever he goes. Yet I like that Hardy is very sincere in those scenes in which he has to recapture his role's hard-hitting reporter side or the more emotional moments in which he is devastated by Anne moving further apart from him. At the same time Eddie is a very fun role who clashes with Venom in a way only those paired together can. Hardy doubles up by doing the voice work for Venom too and the delivery in this feature is very different for this film. Venom has a lot more presence than the last feature, berating Eddie and trying to have an even say in matters. There also some nice character moments for Venom too in which he tries to comfort Eddie and later reacts strongly when Eddie rejects him and the bond they share. It's a very fun dynamic all played out by one performer who is leading these films extremely well.

This film is ironically quite the opposite from the first Venom in that all the best aspects are in the first act and the later acts is where the feature really drops off. The pacing for this particular feature is really poor, it almost rushes towards action sequences and doesn't take time with characters and what they're thinking or feeling unless their name is Eddie Brock or Venom. In fact a number of the characters in this film would've worked better with a few more introspective scenes. I felt the weird 'break-up' Eddie and Venom go through halfway through the feature is treated more as a long running gag rather than a genuine character moment. Seeing these two curse at one another, brawl and then see Venom go out for a night on a town fails to serve the plot and is an odd series of scenes smack bang in a rushed plot. This is a film that chooses to rush at every turn so slowing up for this running joke is a strange choice. The real glaring flaw of the film however is how the antagonists of the film are written: Cletus Kasady, Carnage and Frances. The disturbed criminal kids being madly in love but forever separated is the way this film starts and it comes across as a very rushed idea. Making Cletus a lovelorn serial killer makes him neither sympathetic nor does it make him more of a compelling villain, if anything it takes away from his overall menace. We are told this is the man who ruthlessly kills with no holds barred but he never convinces us off this, he's more that Hollywood brand of 'crazy, unpredictable villain'. Cletus dances through destruction and steals cool cars and has one thing that keeps him 'human' but it's never enough to make him stand out. But when the film pushes Frances into his life again, who has powers for no reason, it becomes this poor conflict between Cletus and Carnage for control. The final act fight is such a massive moment visually but there is no motivation there beyond shallow themes of revenge. Ultimately the film doesn't have a lot of cohesion and seems to race towards the scenes it wants to show; there needed to be more time to make a cohesive whole. The cinematography set up good special effects shots but there was no consistent style, certainly not within the dialogue scenes. The score for the film is quite the generic blend of action blockbuster fare, the soundtrack has a few good moments but is torn between wanting comedy and grit. 

 

Naomie Harris, who played Frances Barrison, is such a bizarre character that the film pushes roughly into the narrative; Harris makes the choice to make a street level antagonist blended with the voice of her Calypso role from Pirates Of The Caribbean in what is one of the more inexplicable characters of the year. Reid Scott, who played Dr. Dan Lewis, did a great job in the first film but falls more squarely into the comedic new boyfriend this film; the slight rivalry between Scott and Hardy has majorly lost its appeal and they haven't attempted anything new. Stephen Graham, who played Detective Mulligan, is yet another disappointing new arrival; Graham's entire character has a very two-dimensional character motivation and only seems to be in this to push towards a role in the inevitable third film.

 

Venom wasn't a strong start but this sequel is so much worse; the script felt like it had barely gone through a couple of drafts. I would give Venom: Let There Be Carnage a 4/10.