6.5
Meh…
There was potential for some funny… but it ends up almost completely squandered as this one wanders its way to the finish line. Stavros Halkias is better in small doses. Keep it to cameos.
Author: Brett_G
8.2
Hugh Grant is so damn charming… you don’t want to believe that he’s as evil as he is here. Which coincidentally, makes him the perfect villain in this film and cranks the tension up to an 11.
What could have easily fallen flat as a “philosophy 101” lecture masquerading as a more depth-filled work actually ended up being genuinely intriguing and sinister. The twists and turns feel naturally methodical and the pacing is perfection, keeping the tension at the brink of boiling over almost the entire runtime, which was perfectly balanced for this type of film. Not dragging, but also not rushed. Extremely well done!
7.7
This is a conflicting one.
Is it the best comic book saga? Not by a long shot.
Is it solid if you enjoy the quirks? Absolutely.
This end to the trilogy is surprisingly a home run, if you let it be. The campy underlying theme is still strong, some of the jokes are dumb… but the CGI and the WTF factor are off the chain! Multiple venoms, intergalactic demons, a conspiracy theorist driving in a hippie van to Area 51. This movie hits all the goofy ass notes we’ve come to know and, in a weird way, love. But what really hit home a lot stronger than anticipated was the relationship between Eddie and Venom. It really packed a punch this go-round, and anchored the movie in a nice heartfelt denouement. Strap in, and enjoy the insanity!
7.3
Generational trauma, the musical! Just a heads up, it really hits some things that I did not expect it to and definitely got deeper in the feels than I thought it would.
The framing device and the way this thing is shot/told takes a solid half hour to get used to. At least it did for me. Having the same POV for 99% of the runtime was a huge gamble, but I feel like it paid off in the end. It wasn’t earth-shattering, but it wasn’t as jarring and off-putting as I braced for.
The cast, as expected, were superb and all turn in great performances. It plays like, well, a play… but it works.
7.8
One word – intense.
Sorry, almost forgot – Peace be with you.
Like “Bridge of Spies” from a few years ago, but far better, in my humble opinion.
This cast is absolutely stellar. There’s so much fire power that there was an underlying temptation to overpower each scene, but they all turned in perfectly balanced performances anchored in intensity and restraint with each passing frame, in a sort of dance with one another as we all worked our way to the credits rolling.
I NEVER expected the twist in the third act… I was genuinely shocked by that bomb they dropped.
Even if you’re not Catholic, you’ll find something to enjoy in this one. A procedural drama masterclass.
