Review of Venom (2018) by Kyle F — 06 Oct 2018

Oh man, was I ever sad that this thing wasn't rated R... Nevertheless, I dismissed my initial apprehensions about this tamed beast as well as the unflattering reviews it received and entered the theater calmly and with an open mind.

Two hours later, I departed the theater relatively surprised - it actually wasn't bad. For a PG-13 Venom, it's not a bad movie, and it's not a total "mess" as some critics claim it to be.

The movie does have some unanswered questions, but it is not incoherent. The voice, personality, and visuals given to Venom are fantastic, Tom Hardy is phenomenally natural and relaxed in his performance, and Michelle Williams lends a strong supporting presence.

The portrayal of the lead villain, however, is a bit lacking in strength and intimidation. Personally, though, my primary problem with the film, as can be expected, is simply that it could've been better - it should've been rated R.

Almost every fight scene seemed like it was cut short. The film has many sequences of violence that clearly felt censored and toned down. In the theater, it was like I was watching a TV version of an R-rated movie with scenes cut out to make it passable to air on cable.

While the movie is actually pretty good overall for what it is, it also stands as strong evidence to support that Venom is truly an R-rated character...like Deadpool and The Punisher.