Short Attention Span Review: Venom (2018)

Short Attention Span Review: Venom (2018)

Because Tom Hardy, that's why.  What else could it be?  Venom is not a great movie, oh no, far from it, but it is way better than it has any right to be.  Why?  Please revisit that first line, good people.  It simply has to be Tom.  Tom is invested.  The script is an exercise in contrived mediocrity.  Tom is quirky.  The direction is so bland it makes vanilla seem like the most daring of flavors.  Tom is funny.  This is a movie about Venom with no real ties to Spider-Man whatsoever.  Tom is exciting.  Both the special effects and the choreography for this film could accurately be described as run-of-the-mill for the industry at large--and may even rate as subpar if compared to most films repping the current superhero craze.  Tom is unpredictable.  Venom is a by-the-numbers comic book adaptation that has more in common with Catwoman or Spawn than anything Marvel has produced in the last decade.  Despite my love for Tom, when you do the math here, it should add up to a lousy review, right?  Wrong.  Because Tom Hardy, that's why.  Venom should rate as an insult to webheads like me, but Tom's gonzo performance makes it a curious success.  There are moments when he seems to be channeling vintage Jim Carrey, I shit you not, and while I can't say that I agree with all of the choices he makes in this role, it is his schtick that makes this rabble worthwhile.  I'll also give props to the sound design where the symbiote's voice is concerned, and the only thing the filmmakers do that matches Hardy's zeal: centering this tale on the relationship between a strange man and a much stranger creature.  And the fact that heads are bitten off is never a turnoff for yours truly.

Final Grade: C+

It's a love story, really.  A love story about a boy who meets a parasite.
Like when Kurt met Courtney, only this time the parasite is from another planet.

Mad Max: Fury Road vs. The Road Warrior

 
I just posted a review of Mad Max: Fury Road.  I gave it a well-deserved A and I can't recommend it highly enough.  However, I do want to address two things.  I've heard a lot of people claiming that Fury Road is the best picture in George Miller's merrily insane post-apocalyptic series of movies and I've also heard people say that Tom Hardy makes for a better Max than Mel Gibson did. 

First off, the latest venture is surely the most energetic and the most violent film of the bunch, and it is truly a top-notch action flick.  However, in my humble opinion it isn't as good of a movie as The Road Warrior.  That 1981 gem is in my Top 10 and could actually be in my Top 5, and it has a bit more drama in the mix to go along with all the carnage.  It may not be nearly as spectacular, but I think it's a bit more fulfilling. 

Secondly, Tom Hardy is awesome and he did a great job as Max--but he isn't Mel.  Mel owned that part in a way that few performers own any role, and while I do think that Hardy was fantastic, he didn't quite match Mel's greatness.  In fairness, I think he did the best job that he could have possibly done, but the part wasn't as rich or as complex in Fury Road.  This new take on Max was also a bit more sympathetic.  For some reason, I've always felt that one of the most intriguing aspects of Mel's legendary work as the character in The Road Warrior was the fact that he is compelling in spite of the fact that he's a bit of a dick.  If you don't believe me, just ask the Gyro Captain.  Seriously, right up until the closing reel, there isn't a lot to like about Max, but we know his history and we understand that he's a product of his environment, so we root for him in spite of his icy demeanor. 

In short, I had a blast with Mad Max: Fury Road and I thought Tom Hardy rocked as Max.  It was a terrific action movie and if you haven't seen it yet, you need to remedy that.  Yet it wasn't as potent as The Road Warrior, which is not merely a great action movie, but a great movie in general.  And while Hardy rocked it, Mel was better.

Tom Hardy played the part well, but . . .

Mel Gibson is Mad Max.

Short Attention Span Review - Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Believe the hype.  The latest film from the incredibly talented George Miller is an action movie unlike any other.  I was expecting big things from the newest Mad Max adventure, and I wasn't at all disappointed by this grand and chaotic film.  The picture is essentially one big chase and the delirious action that it delivers from start to finish is unlike anything you've ever seen before.  Moving at a breakneck pace and populated with wild characters and their twisted vehicles, the experience is a bit exhausting, but it is also 100% entertaining.  The score is ripe, the carnage is downright intoxicating, and I don't know what more we could possibly expect from a movie called Fury Road.  I was really keen on all the girl power that Miller inserted into the mix and the cinema goddess known as Charlize Theron totally killed it as Furiosa.  This movie belonged to her as much as it belonged to Tom Hardy as Max, and if she didn't outshine him, . . . well, we'll have to call it a draw.  Both were incredible and badass and as much as Miller's robust imagination is to thank for this maniacal blockbuster, it may well have faltered without the benefit of such an impeccable cast.  Nicholas Hoult was astounding, totally losing himself in the part of Nux, and it was great to see Hugh Keays-Byrne (he played the villainous Toecutter in the original Mad Max way back in 1979) as the heavy, a colorful and imposing lunatic called Immortan Joe.  While it may be a bit simplistic in terms of plot, Mad Max: Fury Road is as invigorating and bold as any movie that we've ever been blessed with.  If you're looking for a killer movie to blow your mind as the summer draws to a close, you need to take to take a spin with Mad Max and Furiosa.  Oh, and be sure to buckle up--it's going to be one hell of a ride.

Final Grade: A

Let's put it like this: if one were to refer to Mad Max: Fury Road as gleefully
over-the-top and excessively violent, that would definitely be an understatement.