... and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I figure that it is probably not a popular opinion. But I very much enjoyed the references they made throughout the film. There was a mention of the reason why the movie was set in San Francisco, specifically with regards to the "Globe" incident - while that was due to the Sin-Eater situation in the Amazing Spider-Man comics, there was no further allusion to it.
Michelle Williams was excellent on the screen, bringing Anne Weying to life. It was good to see her on any screen again. I know that she has been in numerous things since she was on the 'Creek with the 'Beek, but nothing that really caught my attention.
And for the record, yes, I did watch "Dawson's Creek." No, not while it was on. Yes, it was at the behest of an ex-girlfriend. Yes, it was worth it at the time.
So back to Venom...
Michelle Williams' performance gave some depth to a character who was, really, more of a plot catalyst in the comics. This was refreshing, as the last time that Venom was on the big screen, the blonde was inaccurately portrayed as a plot catalyst. I have strong feelings about Spider-Man 3 and how they basically got every single thing wrong when it came to Gwen Stacey, and how Venom himself was way under-utilized. That is not to say that Anne Weying was much more than a love interest, but there was a definite chemistry between Williams and Tom Hardy, and I found it to be truly believable that they would be a couple, unlike Bryce and Tobey.
Also, the whole "She-Venom" thing was a nice tip of the hat.
Tom Hardy, as the main event, was definitely Eddie Brock as we have never seen him. I liked his Eddie, he was a good guy with aspirations and dreams, and he seemed to lack that borderline psychotic element that tended to accompany the Eddie Brock from the comics and the 90's animated Spider-Man cartoon. The absence of Spider-Man actually kinda helped in this case, since there was no pathological hatred of Spidey for Eddie to gorge upon. Still, he had a vain-glorious streak to him - was it his quest for ratings and viewers, or his pursuit for justice that motivated him to try to "out" industrialist Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) as a greedy monster, in opposition to the philanthropist paint brush with which Drake painted himself.
Segue for a second to Carlton Drake. He runs the Life Foundation, another reference to Eddie/Venom's adventures in San Francisco in the comic books. The Life Foundation was all about anything but actual life. They spared no expense when it came to their research, the most costly thing being human life, which they valued the least. Yes, Alanis Morissette should have used that in her song. Carlton Drake's complete and utter disregard for human life was a bit cliché, especially as the "evil and money-grubbing CEO." Also, his use of the homeless in his experiments parallels the comic books in a seamless manner.
The dimensions come from Eddie and his post-breakup spiral. Having been through one or two of them myself, I can understand what he was experiencing, and I can see why he would go to pieces. And let's be honest - he moved across the country to secure new employment, so he had already messed up once at the Globe. Now, he's dropped the ball again, and in the process Anne also lost her job. She was pretty upset with him, so she bounced. Another difference here - they were married in the comics, whereas she tosses an engagement ring at him as she walks away.
Eddie's encounter with the symbiote involves a bit of B & E, as opposed to suicidal ideation. Also, even in his despair, he proves himself to be a good guy - take away the chance for fame and to impress Anne, and he still gives the homeless woman in front of the bodega $20. The dude lives in a nasty little hole-in-the-wall apartment, has no real job or even prospects, and he still manages to do something kind and proper. He also clearly chafes as the owner of the bodega is shaken down for protection money, and he is powerless to prevent the robbery. This echoes the Eddie Brock of the comic books, who had a soft spot for the innocent, and that consistency helped the Eddie of the screen to show his true heroism. His breaking and entering - really, more of a sneaking in - was with the help of Dr. Dora Skirth, played by Jenny Slate. Stepping over to her for a moment, Jenny Slate has talent as an actress and comedian, with some great voice acting roles as well. It was refreshing to see her in a more serious role, as her character Mona-Lisa in "Parks and Rec" was, to say the least, absolutely so freakin' annoying that she would drive me up a wall. But she truly proved her mettle to me as an actor, and her character was your typical scientist-who-wants-to-study-but-has-morals-but-is-being-blackmailed-by-the-boss role.
Despite the clichés that tend to be all up in here, let's be honest, there are a TON of clichés in all of the Marvel and DC movies and shows these days, and also in every other movie. So that's not a gripe.
Eddie's exposure to the symbiote shows the fear and trauma of the bonding that I always felt was conveyed in so many of the other portrayals of their pairing. As the symbiote begins to bond with him, he is thrown into a realm of quasi-madness; hearing the growling and shouting voice of the symbiote inside of his head makes him question his seemingly-waning sanity.
And then they meet. The symbiote manifests itself physically, taking control of Eddie's motor functions and whipping him about the room and then the town. They have a few encounters that really make Eddie feel like he is losing his mind, although he and the symbiote tend to come together to help each other, making their bonding a true symbiosis.
There are a few more tips-of-the-hat to the comic books, including the weakness to sound and fire, the Planet of the Symbiotes/Invasion of the Symbiotes, and even to the importance of chocolate to help slake the symbiote's hunger for brains.
Oh, yeah, and the symbiote's love for chowing down on some grey matter.
After all is said and done, Eddie goes back to his crummy little apartment. He hits up the bodega, which is then hit up for protection money again. Eddie is trying to teach the symbiote right from wrong, good from evil, and who is OK to eat and who is not, and he finds himself with a real teachable moment.
Despite the separation of Venom from Spider-Man [see what I did there?] I found that they made good use of the symbiote. It was great to see a new take on Eddie Brock, and to see him as more than a deranged lunatic with a tilted sense of innocence. Tom Hardy once again did an excellent job, and I did not find him to be forced or shoe-horned into the role. The rest of the cast came together nicely, and I was not at all disappointed by "Venom." What else was pleasant was that they left the door open for potential sequels without forcing that option - and yet, the credits scene made me really, really want to see them go where they would like to lead us. And Woody Harrelson does an impressive style of crazy. I, for one, would not mind seeing Venom continue to get his due, especially after the awful treatment he received in Spider-Man 3, which I will forever call "an abomination in the eyes of the Lord."
So good job, Sony. Pat yourselves on the back for this. Just don't let it go to your head, capice?