Tom Hardy’s ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ cops unfavourable reviews

Reviews have poured in for the third and final Venom film starring big screen star Tom Hardy, and it’s fair to say critics have not been kind.

Tom Hardy has bid farewell to the antihero Venom franchise with a third and final film, but it’s proved somewhat a bitter goodbye amid a swarm of negative reviews.

The UK actor, 47, returns as Eddie Brock/Venom in Venom: The Last Dance, which hit cinemas in Australia Thursday.

It picks up following the events of the 2021 sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and immediately after Spider-Man: No Way Home, seeing Brock and his Symbiote companion Venom on the run from the law.

And while, granted, Hardy has earned credit for his compelling and entertaining performance in both roles, critics have been scathing of the trilogy conclusion overall, with The Wrap writing, “Watching is like watching the superhero genre die for two hours. Right in front of you. Holding your hand. Clinging to its last shred of dignity. It doesn’t want to go. But finally, it realizes [sic] it’s time.”

Tom Hardy in 'Venom: The Last Dance.' Picture: Sony Pictures

Perhaps, more worse, were the comparisons to Sony’s box office flop Madame Web, which was released earlier this year to woeful reviews.

“Venom: The Last Dance is a disappointing Sony-Marvel release to go alongside Madame Web,” Comic Book wrote.

Vulture, for its part, declared the movie was surely “bad on purpose”, concluding, “Venom: The Last Dance isn’t a lark but a smirk to let you know that while everyone may be aware of what it’s up to, you’re the sucker who bought the ticket.”

Others were slightly more balanced in their assessments, with Variety musing, “The Venom movies have been a success, and sometimes fun, but I can’t say that they’ve really been good. More like comic-book placeholders that deliver.”

Hardy delivers an entertaining performance in an otherwise lacklustre film, critics say. Picture; Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Sony Pictures

The Guardian, for its part, gave the film two stars, asserting, “It’s not as catastrophic as Madame Web or as redundant as The Marvels or as annoying as Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s just about passable in a throwaway kinda way, blessed by a surprisingly brief runtime that doesn’t allow it to grate or exhaust. If only it amused and excited us a little bit more.”

Indeed, studios are grappling with an apparent superhero fatigue among moviegoers following the genre’s stronghold at the box office for the better part of a decade, with interest waning following Marvel’s behemoth Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

With the exception of Deadpool & Wolverine which managed to tick over $US1 billion at the global box office after its July release, the aforementioned Madame Web grossed just $US100.5 million worldwide against a production budget of $US80 million.

Reports suggest Todd Phillips’ Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, which hit cinemas three weeks ago, stands to lose a staggering $US200 million after its theatrical run comes to an end.

Todd Phillips’ much anticipated Joker sequel has proved a giant flop. Picture: Scott Garfield

The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, was further teamed with scathing reviews.

There is, however, hope for the impending chapter as studios attempt to revive the genre.

US actor Robert Downey Jr. sensationally announced his Marvel Cinematic Universe comeback at Comic-Con in July, with the Oscar winner set to star as the new character Dr Doom in two upcoming Avengers movies.

Downey Jr., who kickstarted the MCU playing Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man, will portray the comic book antagonist in Avengers: Doomsday, due out in May 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars, set to be released in May 2027.

Originally published as Tom Hardy’s ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ cops unfavourable reviews