The Movie Guru: ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ a wild sendoff, while ‘Conclave’ unexpectedly gripping
Sony/Courtesy photo
Venom: The Last Dance (in theaters)
Venom and Eddie Brock are going out with a bang.
“Venom: The Last Dance,” the last in the trilogy that kicked off with 2018’s “Venom,” takes everything you like about the series and dials it up to 11. It’s a wild, wacky road trip of a movie, full of the most dramatic symbiote shenanigans seen in the series so far. There’s also some genuinely emotional moments, the front-and-center relationship between Eddie and Venom once again serving as the strange, sweet heart of the movie. It’s as messy as the earlier movies, if not more so, but if you like the series there’s so much here to love.
Due to the events of 2021’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” Venom and Eddie (Tom Hardy) are currently on the run from human authorities. It soon turns out that Venom’s species aren’t happy with them, either, and with danger closing in from both sides it soon gets hard to stay one step ahead. Will they be forced into a final standoff like Butch and Sundance?
With this definitely being the last movie in the series, and no current plans for the duo to come back to the big screen, you might even get a little choked up. The Venom movies haven’t been the most dignified corner of the Marvel universe, even the Sony portion of it, but there’s a lot here I’m going to miss.
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Grade: Three stars
Conclave (in theaters)
Politics are everywhere, even the Catholic Church.
In “Conclave,” those politics end up being unexpectedly gripping. Based on the popular 2016 novel by Robert Harris, the movie transforms the seemingly dull experience of voting for the next pope into a tense thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. There are clear, direct parallels to recent political elections — the battle between progressivism and reactionary conservatism is key to “Conclave” — but there’s a lot here about faith as well. When push comes to shove, what do you really believe in?
For audiences, one of the biggest things they’ll end up believing in is the cast. Ralph Fiennes is fantastic as Cardinal Lawrence, the priest that the dead pope specifically made sure oversaw the conclave. He’s a reserved man, but Fiennes makes sure that every moment of private wrestling can be seen on his face. John Lithgow is fantastically threatening as Cardinal Tremblay, one of the most dangerous men at the conclave, while Stanley Tucci does a wonderful job of showing both Cardinal Bellini’s good-heartedness and increasing desperation. Though she isn’t given enough to do – this is a story about power players in the Catholic Church, after all – Isabella Rossellini is utterly gripping as Sister Agnes.
Since this is a thriller, the twists do start piling up a bit near the end. The biggest one is saved for last, a hugely dramatic revelation that some audiences have found jarring. Though it does feel unexpected for the plot and setting, it actually ties in beautifully with the themes of faith and political ideals.
Grade: Three and a half stars
Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Denver Film Critics Society. Find her on Twitter at @wardellwriter or drop her a line at themovieguruslc@gmail.com.
