It's the moment you've either been waiting for or dreading for some time: Venom is alive and well, with his own movie spinoff in an unidentified corner of the Spider-Verse. You've seen the memes, you've heard the claims of an R-rating get backtracked to a PG-13 rating, and you've been speculating as to who Woody Harrelson is playing in the film. Now, it's time for your most important assignment: it's time to rate and discuss Venom.
The critics haven't exactly been swooning over this movie, and anyone who didn't see that coming hasn't been reading the internet fairly regularly. Even our own Sean O'Connell had the following words of wisdom pertaining to the film's ultimate failings:
Arguably, you can't have Venom without first having Spider-Man... which, in a nutshell, is the main reason that Venom, the movie, doesn't work.
But, of course, this isn't the Critics Corner, is it? This is Rate and Discuss, where you the audience, get to have your say (or your 'says,' should you be with symbiote) as to whether you enjoyed the film or not! So let's begin with some rousing discussion questions that'll help you better discuss your feelings about Venom:
Does a Venom movie work without Spider-Man, or is it essential?How did you enjoy Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock/Venom performances?Who's the better Eddie Brock/Venom? Hardy, or Topher Grace?Are you excited or pissed off that we're only being teased with Woody Harrelson as Carnage?Would you see Venom 2 if we were promised a full, R-rated brawl with Carnage and Venom?Did you stay until the end of the credits for the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse clip?Would Sony have been better off doubling down and turning Life into an honest to goodness Venom prequel?
So many questions and so little time. Don't worry about answering them completely just yet, as you'll have time to think up some crackerjack answers for your comments at the end of this feature. Speaking of those comments, they should also include a number, more specifically your rating for how much you enjoyed Venom on the traditional scale of 0 to 5. You can share your explanation for your numbered rating in said comments, as well as log that rating in the poll below. Statistics fans need love too.
This poll is no longer available.
Last, but not least, as we close out Venom Mania here at Rate and Discuss, we have some recommended reading to send you out with. In particular, there's a legacy Spider-Man character that was included in the film's opening act that may have snuck past your notice in all of the hustle and bustle. Also, you can read about how director Ruben Fleischer made his version of Venom different from that of Spider-Man 3 fame. Finally, if you're scratching your head over the whole Carnage reveal during Venom's mid-credits, we have the explanation of why it's so important, and why Fleischer included it, for you to peruse as well.
And that wraps the rate and discuss section for Venom, folks! Cue the Eminem tie-in single and exit through the headline, as you enjoy whatever else you're headed out to see this weekend. We'll see you back here for the next Rate and Discuss, so keep your pencils sharpened, and your symbiotes fed.
