It is finally here ladies and gentlemen. The long-awaited sequel to 2018’s Venom has arrived. Three years later, the face-off we as fans have been craving is here. Venom vs Carnage. A blockbuster for comic book nerds like myself everywhere that praise each character individually and their chemistry together. Naturally, there is a lot I am excited for and expect from it, so let’s get to it.
Andy Serkis as Director
One thing I pride myself in watching movies is essentially watching concepts warp reality to a point where you imagine things beyond your wildest dreams. Andy Serkis has done that for me on many occasions as his roles as Gollum in Lord of the Rings, and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes movie franchise. So when I heard he was directing this film, I was already on board from the start. His way to capture visuals and create makes me excited for the unlimited possibilities of this movie.
Carnage Arrives
The darker more sadistic offspring of Venom, Carnage finally makes his debut. Naturally, it was talked about in rumors that Carnage was going to be in the fourth Sam Rami Spiderman film, but the idea was destroyed and so was the movie series. Finally, the killer symbiote makes his way to the big screen. Like I mentioned with Serkis, the character of Carnage is deadly and cunning. he is able to shape his body into different murderous tools to inflict pain and misery to make people suffer for simply the fun of it. He is an artist in his own right, and I am more than excited to see how he uses the canvas of red to his liking.
The Comedy and Chaos of Tom Hardy
In 2018’s Venom, Tom Hardy pushed the limits to be absolutely weird and entertaining. Whether it was sweating in a gross gray hoodie for most of the film, eating garbage or live lobster from a tank, or talking to his other half Tom Hardy made the crowds sometimes cringe or gag based on his activities in the film, and honestly I love that. If your character is supposed to be going through issues and seemingly a little off, why not turn it up to the max for fans to see. I can only imagine the chaos and hilarity that will come from him, and his alien counterpart in the film.
The Debut of Shriek
Shriek is a wonderful character to add to this movie, and it makes it even better that she will be played by Naomie Harris. The character of Shriek is that she is the lover of Cletus Cassidy aka Carnage. The two supposedly go on a killing spree which is interesting given most of the trailer we see her in glass box to most likely keep her safe, or keep her from hurting others. Her powers include the manipulation and using of sound and sound waves, and the ability to sense the darkest part of a person and manifest it to use against people. She is supposedly a pretty damaged person to make herself align with the likes of Carnage. We see she is pretty lost in her box, so maybe later in the film is when she goes off the deep end and becomes murderous. In any retrospective, I am very happy for this character.
Has to be R-Rated
The one thing the first Venom film lacked was a darker and more disgusting feel to it. Now that Carnage is in play, this film cannot hold back on an R-Rating. Both Venom and Carnage each must have the opportunity to express their justice or kills in imaginative ways especially with Carnage. Many fans were disappointed last time with a PG-13-Rating, but they were able to move past it because it didn’t matter as much. This film I believe will need that R-Rating to express the horror and overall terrifying feeling that both these characters possess.
Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady
Now that the crappy and obviously fake red wig is off of him, Woody Harrelson looks fantastic in this role. He looks slimmer, younger, and honestly very unsettling as the deranged psychopath Cletus Kasady. His cold demeaner and dead eyes make him very believable. He looks like he will kill you. The origin story between him and the symbiote which bonds him to become Carnage will definitely come into question, but for right now I am very excited to see Woody Harrelson play Cletus Kasady and Carnage on the big screen.
Final Thoughts and Trailer
Overall, there is a lot to be excited about this film. I am hoping it delivers considering it will only be available in theaters to watch instead of streaming which has essentially taken over the world. So yes, Venom; Let there Be Carnage should be an incredible and scary thrill ride for comic book nerds everywhere.
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