The world premiere for Venom was held earlier this week, and the first reactions are in. Needless to say, it looks like we’re going to be in for a major disappointment.
Many of the premiere audience took to Twitter to post their first reactions and while some viewers were positive, most were lukewarm to outright negative. Most pointed to the disjointed nature of the movie, specifically the odd relationship between Eddie Brock and Venom.
Probably the most damning critique of the movie is its overall lack of quality. It seems like a pre-MCU movie with its disjointed narrative, off plot beats and unspectacular CGI work similar to Ben Affleck’s Daredevil, Ang Lee’s Hulk and even Halle Berry’s Catwoman. Ouch.
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
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
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
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
The negative reception to Venom didn’t come out of nowhere. Early trailers for the movie did not inspire confidence, especially with lines like “turd in the wind.” Then there’s the fact that reviews for the movie are still embargoed by Sony even though it’s only days away from opening, which is usually the kiss of death to any movie that isn’t good. Studios try to hide the negative reception just before the opening weekend so as not to affect the box office take.
We’ll see what critics think of the movie when the reviews start coming out later this week but it’s looking like Sony’s much anticipated Marvel universe is going to get off to a rocky start.
Venom opens Friday.
