Save the Last Dance

I enjoy the We Hate Movies podcast, although I don't always take their advice. For instance, in an "On Screen Live" YouTube episode, they talked quite a bit about Venom: The Last Dance (2024). Their conclusion: It's barely a movie, and you should avoid it. But guess what?

It starts rather incoherently: Tom Hardy and the Venom symbiote are stuck in an alternate Earth by Dr. Strange (did this happen at the end of Venom 2? Can't be bothered to check). Specifically, in a Mexican bar, where they are getting smashed to "Tequila". But some random creep played by Andy Serkis in a monster dimension gives us some exposition about destroying all symbiotes and ... We weren't paying attention. But somehow, they open a portal, and we're back in our usual dimension.

They head for New York to clear their names for crimes committed in Venom 2 (I guess), but are forced off of the plane they are attached to the outside of by a creature from the monster dimension, and land in Nevada. It turns out that Area 51 is being closed down, but not the secret lab deep beneath it. This lab, run by Chiwetel Ejiofor and scientist Juno Temple, has been studying symbiotes, and has several in containment. They are trying to give some hosts, but the hosts keep dying in agony. Oh well, science, I guess.

Hardy gets picked up by a hippie family in a VW bus. The dad, Rhys Ifans, is a saucer nut, and wants to see Area 51 before it's gone. His wife is into it, his young son and teen daughter less so, but surprisingly cheerful. 

They stop in Vegas on the way, and Venom figures he'll rich on the slots, but loses everything instead. But they meet Peggy Lu, the convenience store owner from the previous movies (and Across the Spider-Verse). She has won big, gotten a make-over and penthouse suite. Her and Venom have a disco dance number (when did they have time to rehearse?). 

Then it's off to Area 51, where we get some big battles. The trapped symbiotes get released, and bond with some of the scientists (by the way, are these scientists evil, misguided or just dumb?). Even Ifans gets some action in.

I wouldn't say this was a great movie. I think it worked better than Carnage, even though it was a lot shaggier. I think I preferred the lack of serious villains to the attempts at villains in Carnage. Anyway, we sort of enjoyed this, without paying too much attention. And if I left anything out of this review, it's because I wasn't paying attention.