Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) was not one of the big Marvel (Sony Marvel?) movies we were looking forward to. But, hey, the first one was fun, Tom Hardy is fun, and Andy Serkis is directing.
It starts with Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady, a murderer locked up in prison. Through a drain pipe, he can talk with his childhood friend and lover, Naomi Harris. When they come to take her away, breaking up their only human connection, they freak out. She has mutant screaming abilities, which she unleashes. A guard shoots her and she winds up in Ravencroft, one of those science prisons, where they will experiment on her.
Meanwhile, Tom Hardy is having trouble with his symbiote - a typical Odd Couple roommate (body mate?) situation. But he gets a call that Harrelson wants to talk to him and no one else. He visits the prison and Harrelson tells him about growing up in an orphanage where he was horribly abused - just like in The Gathering. With the same results.
Hardy notices some sketches and doodles Harrelson has done - and one is a clue to where the bodies are buried. This is a real career boost for him, and his police buddy, Stephen Graham. On the other hand, his ex-wife tells him she's getting married to her doctor boyfriend, which is a bummer for Hardy. Venom takes it very badly.
Harrelson also was pretty irritated that Hardy wrote about finding the bodies, but not enough about the reason he killed them. So he invites Hardy to his execution, and bites him hard on the finger - getting a sip of symbiote. His line is something like, "I've tasted blood and that wasn't it." When they start the lethal injection, a new symbiote, Carnage, comes out, and breaks him out of jail, with maximum damage.
Harrelson finds Harris and they head for the orphanage to burn it down. Meanwhile, Hardy and Venom have had enough of each other, and Venom takes off to eat heads. So he goes around San Francisco infesting random hosts. But none of them quite suit him. Harrelson and Carnage are also having trouble bonding. For instance, he detests Harris, because of course the symbiotes weakness is loud sounds, and she has sonic powers. It all ends with a fight in a church - the bell plays a big role.
This is mainly just a lark - some character comedy, some action, Harrelson hamming it up. He's probably my least favorite part - just too goofy to seem threatening. Still, an enjoyable movie, and under 100 minutes.
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