DOES THE MOVIE DO JUSTICE TO THE CARNAGE CHARACTER?
“Carnage is an unstoppable beast of a character who proves himself one of the most formidable comic book movie villains of all time.” – Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
“Carnage, as a villain, gets short-shifted. We don’t get much of Harrelson in Carnage mode.” – Chris Bumbray, JoBlo
“Instead of being the gorgeous crimson red of the comics, Carnage is almost a pale, fleshy color that does nothing to pop against the greyish background.” – Matt Goldberg, Collider
“As depicted here, [it’s] just another confusing CGI mess that cannot differentiate itself from Riz Ahmed’s previous CGI mess in the original.” – Brad Gullickson, Film School Rejects
(Photo by Jay Maidment/©Sony Pictures)
HOW IS HARRELSON’S PERFORMANCE IN THE ROLE?
“Harrelson imbues Kasady with a level of sincerity and childishness I wouldn’t expect from a movie like this one, particularly in his love for Shriek.” – Hannah Lodge, The Beat
“While the script leaves the character woefully underwritten, Harrelson’s infectious screen presence ensures that the film never lulls into boredom.” – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation
“Harrelson seems like dream casting for the scummiest of scummy characters. But he mostly lets his bad wig lead his stride. And as his character is gobbled by Carnage, so is his performance.” – Brad Gullickson, Film School Rejects
WHAT ABOUT NAOMIE HARRIS AS SHRIEK?
“She quickly stole my heart… One of the highlights of the entire movie for sure.” – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
“Poorly written… She’s relegated to being a dispiriting, regressive archetype as an unhinged, abused Woman of Color, battered by society, but also by her true love.” – Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
DOES MICHELLE WILLIAMS HAVE ENOUGH TO DO THIS TIME?
“Michelle Williams continues to turn in phenomenally funny work as Eddie’s ex-fiancee Anne.” – Kate Erbland, IndieWire
“The wonderful Michelle Williams [looks] like there’s a sign saying ‘Contractual Obligation’ hanging over her head.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
“Williams is playing straight, fulfilling her contractual obligation, and Hardy is acting in seven different films in the span of one sentence.” – Brad Gullickson, Film School Rejects
“Both supporting female characters are done a dirty disservice, treated as vestigial parts whose inclusion is solely to aid male arcs.” – Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
(Photo by ©Sony Pictures)
IS IT FUNNY?
“No other big budget superhero franchise has gone so totally whole-hog on genuine comedy…It is all very, very funny, but it’s also very, very silly.” – Kate Erbland, IndieWire
“The banter between Eddie and Venom is somehow even more funny than it was in the previous film.” – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky
“Actually funny! The jokes don’t fall flat this time.” – Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
“it doesn’t know how to regulate the silliness, so it all becomes a murky barrage of jokes and goo.” – Esther Zuckerman, Thrillist
DOES IT VEER INTO HORROR TERRITORY AT ALL?
“Andy Serkis directs the film with the obvious aim to channel the madcap horror comedy of Sam Raimi.” – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation
“The boundaries of that PG-13 rating are also pushed to the limit… Carnage is a scary character.” – Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
(Photo by Jay Maidment/©Sony Pictures)
WAS ANDY SERKIS THE RIGHT DIRECTOR FOR THE JOB?
“This really is a bizarre hybrid of monster and murder movie, but Serkis efficiently balances various tones, visual spectacles, and humorous performances to surprisingly make it work.” – Francesca Rivera, IGN Movies
“Serkis is a perfect fit for blockbuster filmmaking, and we’d hope that the door is open to returning to this franchise.” – Josh Wilding, ComicBookMovie.com
“Andy Serkis is a good director and there are shades of his brilliance in the film, but more often than not, Venom: Let There Be Carnage feels producer-driven.” – Sheraz Farooqi, Comic Book Debate
HOW ARE THE MOVIE’S VISUALS?
“You can actually see what’s happening more clearly than you could in the original film…the action is vivid.” – Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com
“The special effects are well done, making Venom and Carnage extremely detailed and as realistic as a symbiotic amoeba could possibly look.” – Allison Rose, FlickDirect
“It’s a more visually appealing comic book film but that only applies to scenes that aren’t slathered in green screen and CGI.” – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation
“Venom: Let There Be Carnage has all the indications of a slap-dash cash grab. The set-pieces look sloppy, the visual effects are all over the place.” – Peter Debruge, Variety
“The visuals in Let There Be Carnage are as inky as Venom. It’s nearly impossible to follow any of the fight sequences.” – Robert Daniels, Los Angeles Times