Robert Scott
Entertainment Editor

“Venom” is director Ruben Fleischer’s (Zombieland) theatrical adaptation of the comic book character, of the same name. It follows disgraced reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) whose life is turned upside down by Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed). Eddie becomes bonded with an alien symbiote named Venom. This plunges him into the middle of an alien conflict. Venom is traditionally an adversary of Spider-Man. Due to legal reasons, Spider-Man is not in the film.

The biggest concern about the film was, “How will this work without Spider-Man?” Venom is a rival of Spider-Man in the comics. His origin is tied directly to Spider-Man, but he is not in the movie. Fortunately, Sony found a way to make it work. The result is a good comic book film. They did express interest in Spider-Man appearing in future films. That is why the studio opted for the final PG-13 rating instead of the initially proposed R.

One issue with the film was the pacing. The film starts out very slowly, and we don’t see the title character in action until about 30 minutes in. This is a long time without any action. However, when the action finally does begin, it doesn’t let up.

I would recommend seeing “Venom.” It delivers plenty of laughs and action to make it worth your time. And, when the credits begin to roll, don’t leave yet. There is a mid-credit scene that is sure to excite fans.