“Venom: The Last Dance” - When the Popcorn Tastes Better than the Plot

“Venom: The Last Dance” - When the Popcorn Tastes Better than the Plot (Theatrical release)

For someone “initiated” like me, let’s just say I entered Venom: The Last Dance with a pinch of caramel popcorn and a lot of skepticism. My Gen Z kids were home for Diwali break, and guess what they were dying to see? Yes, Venom. That’s now a hat-trick for me in binge-watching the third installments of every franchise in sight. First Singham Again, then Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, and now Venom. Apparently, the festive spirit brings with it a marathon of sequels I never knew I needed—or didn’t, actually.

Now, it’s not that I have anything against Marvel characters. I’ve enjoyed my fair share of superhero blockbusters. But this slimy, mollusk-like creature, Venom baba, as I’ve come to call him, has never quite been my top pick. Yet here I am, somehow having watched all three installments of this tentacle-flinging, bickering alien saga.

With this one marketed as “The Last Dance,” I assumed it would be the grand, climactic swan song for Venom, the moment to finally wrap it all up with finesse. But I doubt it (and forgive the spoiler alert here). Knowing Hollywood, I wouldn’t be surprised if an “Anti-Venom” or, rather, an “Auntie Venom” spin-off is already in the works.

The truth is, while I’m no Venom die-hard, I admit the idea of this creepy character as a symbiotic hitchhiker inside someone’s body is… interesting. Like the proverbial wolf lurking within, Venom’s potential for unpredictability makes him a promising anti-hero. But does he ever reach that potential? Not exactly. What could have been a compelling dynamic is instead reduced to Eddie Brock and Venom engaging in endless bickering, like an odd couple sitcom that gets less funny with each episode.

The movie, of course, has the obligatory plot twists that don’t twist so much as fizzle. And as for the visual effects? They look so “cutting-edge” they almost have me wondering if we’re in 2003. But it’s the pacing that truly takes the cake. Just as things seem ready to escalate, the movie grinds to a halt, throwing in dialogue so clunky it could double as heavy machinery.

By the end, I realized I was more invested in my popcorn than the plot. And yet, despite its mediocrity, Venom: The Last Dance is pulling in the numbers. Maybe people just can’t look away from this slow-motion trainwreck of a franchise.

So, if you’re a die-hard fan or simply curious to see Tom Hardy argue with himself for the third time, go for it. But be warned: you may leave the theater feeling like you’ve danced along with this saga long enough.