Look, let’s be real. The Spider-Man Universe without Spider-Man has been a rough ride. We’ve had to sit through Morbius memes and whatever Madame Web was trying to do, so when people ask is Venom: The Last Dance good, they usually ask with a bit of a wince. They want to know if Tom Hardy finally stuck the landing or if this is just another CGI mess that forgets to have a soul.
Honestly? It’s complicated. It’s definitely better than the second one, but it’s still very much a "Venom" movie. That means it’s loud, it’s chaotic, and it’s deeply weird.
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If you go in expecting The Dark Knight, you’re going to hate it. If you go in wanting to see a massive alien symbiote eat heads and bicker with a sweaty, exhausted Tom Hardy like they’re an old married couple in a mid-life crisis, you’re probably going to have a blast. It’s the bromance that carries the whole thing. Without that chemistry, the movie would fall apart in about ten minutes.
The Plot: Knull, Codexes, and Constant Chaos
The story picks up right where things left off. Eddie and Venom are fugitives. They’re being hunted by the military—specifically a group led by Rex Strickland (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor)—and by something much scarier from Venom’s home world.
Enter Knull.
For comic book fans, Knull is a big deal. He’s the King in Black, the creator of the symbiotes, and basically a god-tier threat. In The Last Dance, he’s trapped and needs a "Codex" to escape. Since Eddie and Venom have spent so much time bonded, they’ve created this Codex, which acts as a beacon. If they’re fully transformed, Knull’s "Xenophages"—vicious, unstoppable tracking monsters—can find them.
This creates a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek. Most of the movie is a road trip toward Las Vegas, featuring everything from a hippie family in a VW bus to a very unexpected dance sequence. Is it tonally consistent? Not at all. Does it work? Sorta. It feels like a throwback to those early 2000s superhero movies where the plot was just an excuse for cool set pieces.
The pacing is breathless. Director Kelly Marcel, who wrote the first two, knows exactly what the fans want. She leans into the absurdity. There’s a scene involving a venomized horse that is peak cinema for some and a total "what am I watching?" moment for others. That’s the duality of this franchise.
Why People Think Venom: The Last Dance is Good (And Why Some Don't)
Critics and audiences are rarely on the same page with these movies. Critics hate the thin writing and the messy CGI. Audiences love the heart.
- The Tom Hardy Factor: Tom Hardy isn't just acting; he’s vibrating. He plays Eddie Brock as a man who hasn't slept in three years and Venom as a chaotic toddler with the power of a tank. Their dialogue is the highlight. The way they argue about snacks or life choices feels genuinely funny.
- The Emotional Core: Unlike the previous entries, this one actually tries to make you feel something. The "Last Dance" subtitle isn't just marketing fluff. There is a sense of finality here. The stakes feel personal because we know this is likely the end of their specific journey.
- Action vs. Logic: The action is frantic. The Xenophages are genuinely terrifying predators that don't just die when you punch them. However, the logic gaps are wide. Why is Area 51 suddenly the center of a symbiote research lab? Why does Juno Temple’s character have a lightning-bolt backstory that goes nowhere? You have to turn your brain off for the logistics to make sense.
If you’re looking for a tight, logical narrative, you’ll find plenty of reasons to say the movie isn't great. The military subplot feels recycled from every Marvel movie since 2008. But if you’re looking for "popcorn entertainment" that doesn't take itself too seriously, the answer to is Venom: The Last Dance good is a resounding yes. It knows it’s a B-movie with an A-list budget.
Addressing the Knull Controversy
One of the biggest gripes from the hardcore fanbase involves Knull. He’s a villain who could carry an entire trilogy, yet he’s mostly relegated to sitting on a throne in the shadows, sending minions to do his dirty work.
It feels a bit like Thanos in the early MCU phases. He’s a looming threat, but he doesn't get much screen time. Some viewers felt cheated, expecting a massive showdown between Venom and the God of Symbiotes. Instead, we get a lot of CGI monsters that look like a mix between a spider and a woodchipper. It’s a valid complaint. If you’re going to introduce the literal creator of the species, you probably shouldn't keep him on the sidelines for 90% of the runtime.
The Visuals and Tone: A Messy Masterpiece?
Visually, the movie is a step up from Let There Be Carnage. The colors are more vibrant, especially during the Vegas sequences. The symbiote effects have matured, too. They feel more "weighty" and integrated into the environment.
But the tone is all over the place. One minute it’s a horror movie with a monster ripping people apart in a plane engine, and the next it’s a buddy-comedy with Eddie Brock wearing a tuxedo. This "tonal whiplash" is a hallmark of the series. Some people find it charming; others find it exhausting.
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The supporting cast is... fine. Chiwetel Ejiofor does his best with a "gruff military guy" role that he could do in his sleep. Rhys Ifans pops up as a conspiracy-theorist dad taking his family to see Area 51, providing some of the more grounded (and oddly sweet) moments of the film. It adds a layer of humanity that was missing from the second film, which felt too claustrophobic.
Is the Ending Satisfying?
Without spoiling the specifics, the ending is surprisingly definitive. It doesn't do the typical "everything returns to the status quo" move that many superhero movies fall into. It feels like a goodbye.
There’s a certain bravery in how they chose to wrap things up. It honors the relationship between Eddie and his "other half" in a way that feels earned. By the time the credits roll, you realize the movie wasn't really about saving the world from Knull—it was about two losers who found a weird kind of love in each other’s company.
Final Verdict on the Venom Trilogy Closer
So, is Venom: The Last Dance good?
It’s the best version of what a Venom movie can be. It’s messy, loud, sentimental, and occasionally hilarious. It doesn't have the polish of a Disney-produced Marvel film, but it has more personality than most of them. It’s a movie made for the people who cheered when Venom ate a guy’s head in 2018, not for the people who want to analyze the physics of symbiote bonding.
It’s a fun, chaotic ride that stays true to its lead character. Tom Hardy’s performance alone makes it worth the price of admission if you’ve followed the series this far. It’s a fitting, albeit bizarre, end to a trilogy that survived against all odds.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Viewing
If you're planning on watching it, keep these things in mind to actually enjoy the experience:
- Watch the first two first: The emotional beats in the third act won't land if you haven't seen the evolution of Eddie and Venom's relationship.
- Don't overthink the lore: The movie plays fast and loose with "Codex" rules. Just roll with it.
- Stay for the mid-credits: There are hints about the future of the SSU (Sony's Spider-Man Universe) and the potential for Knull to return in other projects.
- Lower your "Cinematic Universe" expectations: This isn't trying to set up 500 spin-offs. It’s focused on finishing Eddie's story.
If you’re looking for your next movie night, check your local listings or streaming availability. If you want more specific breakdowns of the post-credits scenes or how Knull fits into the wider Marvel lore, look into the "King in Black" comic run by Donny Cates—it provides the context the movie skips over.