Venom 2 is finally out and more importantly we finally get to see Carnage! As soon as I saw the vignette at the end of Venom, I knew we were getting Carnage and part of me was excited. Who wouldn’t be if you’re a fan of the Venom comics?  The other part of me was pessimistic, because how good can a sequel be? I can’t be the only one to feel this way.  For the uninitiated just in case you never read the comics, Carnage is a red symbiote that is obtained by Woody Harrelson’s character when he bites Tom Hardy’s character after what doesn’t even really qualify as a botched interview.  Yes, Eddie Brock is back to interviewing people and gets a chance to resurrect his career with a chance of a lifetime interview with a famous serial killer that as the killer puts it, will put him back on top. Once he discovers the powers he can wield, he decides to go after his childhood love, which sets up the main story.  While this is happening, Venom and Eddie are having a fight and this makes the whole thing a bit complicated, but also very comical.

While these movies are never made for the Oscars, I thought the acting could be a little better than what it was. These actors are capable of so much, but you can see them phoning it in. They just aren’t invested in it. Maybe their best scenes that really show off their acting skills didn’t make the final cut. Sometimes that happens and it would make sense because this film was only 90 minutes. The storyline is ok. Nothing exciting, but it wasn’t horrible. And I thought the dialogue was funny, thanks to Venom.  The best parts of the film are with Eddie and Venom.  They definitely have the best chemistry, although the scenes with them and Michelle Williams were nice too and while it makes the film better than what it could have been, it doesn’t make it as good as it should be, even for a sequel.

The film direction and cinematography aren’t anything exceptional, but that isn’t something you would expect from a sequel or this kind of movie. Mood manipulation, color palette and lighting aren’t as important in films like these. You know what you’re going to get with a Superhero film.  But they are even less important in something that makes them impossible to discern from the rest of the film.  Perhaps better editing could have fixed that, especially if the film was longer than an hour and a half. Overall, I thought it was ok. It wasn’t anything to write home about.  But if you saw the first one and thought it seemed interesting it isn’t something you will suffer through. Venom 2 does have a lot of comedy that will keep you entertained.  I wouldn’t clear my schedule for it. Watch it when you’re bored and someone else wants to see it, so you can blame them when you don’t like it. Then make them buy you pizza to make up for it.