Venom: enjoyable despite undercooked plot

This past Friday, Sony Pictures released Venom: an introductory movie about an anti-hero. Focused on an outbreak of an alien symbiote on Earth, this film incorporates humor and action-packed effects to entertain viewers. Despite lacking a convincing plot, I was still able to enjoy the movie with its evolved characters and their well-thought out dialogue.

Tom Hardy plays the main character, Eddie Brock, a persistent journalist on the hunt to expose unjust people. As the story unravels, he finds himself in a tricky situation with no clear solution. While investigating an inhumane scientific organization, he comes in contact with an alien symbiote—or in more informal terms, space goop—and becomes host to an extraterrestrial being. This is where the story really begins, and Brock finds himself fighting for the greater good.

As an outsider to comics or superheroes, I didn’t have any prior knowledge of Venom’s character when I saw this movie. I went in blindly to accompany a friend, and ended up really enjoying myself. The movie introduces Venom to audience members, like me, but also to the main character; the audience and Brock learn about Venom’s characteristics together. The parallel of Brock and Venom’s characters creates a likable dynamic. Both had different ways of going about certain situations, which I found really entertaining. Whenever Brock remarks in a weak, human way, Venom has an extraterrestrial response ready. This banter continues, and serves as the main attraction for the film.

Looking specifically at the storyline, I feel Venom lacks plot progression. While there were multiple action-packed scenes, the plot wasn’t well developed. Perhaps I didn’t understand the plot because I am unfamiliar with the original story. However, I asked others, who know more about Venom’s story, and they also felt the plot lacked sophistication. While Venom is associated with Marvel Studios, it does not hold up to the standard created by Marvel’s other films. Altogether, the biggest positive factors of the movie are humor and character development. This sentiment is reflected by the general public as well, with high audience ratings but low critic ratings.

While Venom certainly isn’t a complex movie, I would still recommend it to others. If you are looking for an action film with entertaining dialogue, Venom is definitely worth watching. Don’t be disheartened by the critic ratings! Go in with a fresh mind and take in the movie for its characters; Venom’s character will surely win over your heart, like he did mine.