Critics who’ve seen Venom are finally allowed to share their social media reactions (screenings began last week) and the consensus isn’t good. The film that is supposed to launch Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters is drawing unfavorable comparisons to the worst superhero movies of the early 2000s, like Catwoman.
Some critics think Venom is bad, but not that bad. We were even able to locate a positive reaction. The review embargo lifts tomorrow, but it sounds like Sony may need to brace themselves for the impact of a rotten rating.
Sorry to say that #Venom is pretty much a complete failure – a tonal mess that feels 15 years old, ignoring the storytelling strides that the superhero genre has made in recent years.
A few fun Venom-centric moments aside, it has nearly nothing to offer. Don't get your hopes up.
— Tom Horrorgensen (@Tom_Jorgensen) October 2, 2018
I’m *fascinated* with VENOM. The cast seems to all know they’re in a darker superhero movie, except Tom Hardy who is basically remaking Jim Carrey’s Liar Liar. I kinda loved watching this movie, in a Rocky Horror type of way. At one point Tom Hardy and Venom make out.
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) October 2, 2018
Tom Hardy's performance in #Venom is either Johnny Depp in the first PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN or Chris Klein in STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI. Either way, it's not boring.
— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) October 2, 2018
Significant chunks of #Venom don’t work *at all* but there is some serious charm to the Eddie/Venom relationship. Not sure I had the intended reactions to some scenes but fun is fun – even when it’s totally ridiculous, right? It’s too bad they didn’t go for the R rating though.
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) October 2, 2018
Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock and #Venom has some really entertaining moments. A clunky script without nuance bogs the #Venom down, preventing it from choosing between being gritty, funny, or something unique.
— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) October 2, 2018
Social embargo for #Venom is up. I talk about this a lot in my review but this is a movie that somehow slipped through a wormhole from 2004. That's my biggest take. It's a movie that spilled from the pre-MCU era through a crack in time and space.
— The Mothmeg 🔜 NYCC (@rustypolished) October 2, 2018
#Venom is a one-man buddy film bonded with an antihero origin story. And Tom Hardy pulls it off like only he can pic.twitter.com/d2AblUvWjF
— Chris Sylvia (@sylvioso) October 2, 2018
#Venom wasn’t as bad as everyone was saying it was going to be. Tom Hardy is and always will be a great actor, and I laughed a lot — but I’m not sure whether that was intentional or not. Post-credit scene is 🔥
— Beatrice Verhoeven (@bverhoev) October 2, 2018
Venom is in theaters October 5.
