On October 1, 2021, Venom: Let There Be Carnage finally hit theatres. The return of Eddie Brock and his symbiote companion has filled many fans of the unlikely duo with excitement. Viewers flocked to cinemas to witness the second installment of the Venom franchise.
Let There Be Carnage has received mixed reviews, with audiences far more enthusiastic than critics, just like with the first Venom. But even audiences have to agree that Let There Be Carnage isn't perfect. Some fans say it's an improvement over Venom 1, others that it is worse – all for different reasons.
10 BETTER: Carnage Is More Memorable Than Riot
Carnage is perhaps Venom's most infamous villain, so it comes as no surprise that he is far more memorable than Riot, the antagonist in the first movie. Carlton Drake and his symbiote aren't very exciting in terms of depth. Drake's motivations are uninspiring and lackluster, at best, as he seems just another misanthropic scientist sick of humanity.
Carnage manages to be more complex. The serial killer Cletus Kasady is actually given a more relatable background. He is raised by an abusive family, which leads to him murdering them. Sent to St. Estes Home For Unwanted Children, he finds refuge and love with fellow outcast Frances Barrison. Let There Be Carnage is also the tale of Cletus's reunion with Frances, which elevates it over Venom's plot.
9 WORSE: Fights Rehash Old Material
Despite the improvement of the villain's motivations, the same thing cannot be said about the fights. In fact, given that both Carnage and Riot are symbiotes, Carnage's confrontation with Venom comes off as repetitive, almost boring. It's intense in its own way, but there are too many similarities for it to be all that enjoyable.
It would have been better if Venom's second villain had been someone with a non-symbiote nature, to give audiences a break after Riot, refresh their interest, and cultivate their excitement for Carnage even more.
8 BETTER: Shriek Adds An Interesting Element
Cletus' love interest, Frances Barrison, is one of the most relevant elements in the movie. She possesses a superpower of her own, and her sonic screech seriously damages symbiotes. This is very important, and not only because it makes her a threat to Venom. Her existence and Cletus' feelings for her cause a rift between the symbiote Carnage and Cletus. This is something that never happened in the comics and it allows Venom to defeat him.
7 WORSE: Shriek Introduces A Lot Of Unanswered Questions
While an exciting addition, Shriek's presence also introduces some confusing details. The source of her powers is never explained, though she explicitly mentions a mutation. In the comics, she is indeed a mutant, but people with no knowledge of that background will undoubtedly be baffled.
With the addition of Shriek, the Ravencroft Institute has also been included. Often compared to DC's Arkham Asylum, the Institute houses superpowered villains in facilities immune to their respective abilities. This is again confusing, as it appears superpowers are far more widespread in the Venom universe than viewers have so far been led to believe.
6 BETTER: Eddie And Venom Finally Becomes Stable
The best part of the Venom movies is without a doubt the relationship between Eddie and his symbiote. In the first movie, Eddie struggles a lot with adjusting to life as Venom's host. This struggle continues in Let There Be Carnage, until both characters reach their breaking point. Following a vicious fight, Venom abandons Eddie and goes on to take over other hosts, leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake.
The two eventually reunite, just like they did in the first movie. But Let There Be Carnage brings with it an epiphany for Eddie, as he finally decides to abandon the pretense of being the regular Eddie Brock. He and the symbiote leave their old life behind and make plans to become superheroes, much to Venom's enthusiasm.
5 WORSE: Their Relationship With Anne Is In The Past
Anne Weying has always been very important to Eddie, and surprisingly, to Venom. Let There Be Carnage doesn't change that, and it is in fact her kidnapping that forces Venom to confront Carnage. But there seems to be far more distance between Anne and Eddie now than in the past. She is finally engaged with Dan Lewis, something both Eddie and Venom have trouble accepting. When Eddie and Venom leave, the goodbye between the three seems rather final.
4 BETTER: Mulligan's Transformation Sets The Stage For The Next Villain
Another character important throughout Let There Be Carnage is police officer Patrick Mulligan. First seen escorting Frances Barrington from St. Estes, he shoots her in the eye when she tries to escape. She vows revenge and many years later, Carnage kidnaps him as a gift to her. Patrick seems to die at Shriek's hands, but the end of the movie reveals he is still alive and his eyes are glowing blue.
This is quite likely a reference to Mulligan's transformation into Toxin from the comics. While also an anti-hero figure, Toxin is known to be quite brutal. He could very easily be the next villain in the franchise, especially considering Patrick's enmity with Eddie. This means the transition between movies may be more seamless and the antagonist may have more room to develop.
3 WORSE: Still Focused On Symbiote Fighting
Assuming Toxin will indeed be the next villain, it's safe to say that Let There Be Carnage is setting up its successor to repeat one of its major failings. Venom 3 will be yet another symbiote fight. So far, Venom's confrontations with such alien entities have attracted audiences to theatres, and it does make sense, considering the type of villains he faces in the comics.
Still, the lack of originality is a huge downside and may end up fatal for the series if producers aren't careful. Comic book Venom does have some non-symbiote opponents, such as Jack O'Lantern and the Sin-Eater. It would be a good idea to use one of them in future installments.
2 BETTER: The Post-Credits Promise A Reunion With Spider-Man
Let There Be Carnage may not provide many surprises in the confrontation with the actual villain, but the post-credits scene almost compensates for that. When Venom comments Eddie's human mind couldn't process the knowledge of an ancient symbiote, Eddie dares him to show him one single thing.
Suddenly, Venom and Eddie somehow travel to a hotel room very different from their previous one and proceed to watch Spider-Man's identity be revealed – the same way it was in Far From Home, and with Tom Holland's image included. This suggests Venom and his oldest opponent may still have a chance to meet.
1 WORSE: Sticking Carnage In A PG-13 Movie Seems Like A Bad Joke
Just like Venom 1, Let There Be Carnage is a PG-13 movie. While the rating seemed less of a problem when Riot was the antagonist, the lack of graphic violence feels off in a movie where the main antagonist is Carnage. Eddie also does his best to keep Venom's murderous impulses in check, to the point of making him eat chickens.
This means LTBC turns two characters straight out of a nightmare into tame shadows of their true selves. The closest thing to shocking violence is Venom decapitating Cletus at the end, but even that feels anticlimactic. If there is a big problem with Venom 2, it's that for a movie with the word 'carnage' in its title, there isn't a lot of blood involved.