Critics are unimpressed by ‘sloppy’ visuals in ‘funny’ but ‘disposable’ Venom sequel

The first reviews for Tom Hardy’s sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage are in and the results are underwhelming.

The Marvel sequel – directed by Andy Serkis – sees Hardy reprise his role as the antihero and alien symbiote Venom. The actor is joined by Woody Harrelson as new villain Cletus Kasady.

Fans will be disappointed to hear that first reviews of the film have been less than flattering.

The Guardian called Venom 2 an “admirably light-hearted but utterly disposable sequel” in its two-star review. In a damning verdict, critic Benjamin Lee wrote: “Let there be no more.”

Peter Debruge for Variety had a similarly poor view of the film, taking particular issue with its aesthetics.

“The set-pieces look sloppy, the visual effects are all over the place, and the laughs come largely at the movie’s expense,” wrote Debruge, who added that the filmmakers should have “taken their time to hash out a better story”.

The Hollywood Reporter praised the film for its development of the “chemistry between the titular alien and the human he’s forced to inhabit” but criticised Venom 2 for “giant set pieces of CGI mayhem that feel exactly like those found in the good guys’ movies”.

In a C+ review of the film, Entertainment Weekly similarly found fault with the film’s “big-reach set pieces” that “feel like so much obligatory noise between the banter”.

In one of the more positive reviews, Indiewire wrote that the film is “very, very funny, but it’s also very, very silly”.

Molly Freeman for Screen Rant criticised Venom 2 for “being pulled in one too many directions” but called the sequel an overall “wildly entertaining ride”.

Jamie Jirak wrote for Comicbook.com that “the sequel manages to be nothing more than a forgettable 90 minutes that’s barely saved by its exhilarating mid-credits scene”.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is out now in US cinemas. The film is slated for a UK theatrical release on 15 October.