Venom (2018) Review

There's a good movie lurking somewhere in Venom's back gooey depths and it lies specifically in the fun Venom/Eddie Brock dynamic that serves to be the films main highlight. Tom Hardy is clearly having fun in his role which is why it mainly works well and serves to be enjoyable.
The CGI is also fine but does get a bit messy at times particularly in the climactic fight but I don't think the editing helped with that either.

My point though is that I liked the portrayal of venom here, It's just a shame that its' all wrapped in a bog standard story and some messy craftsmanship leaving you with a film that is kinda entertaining but mostly lackluster.

May have just been better if they just did a spider-man film with this venom, the problem with origin origin films is that the majority of them go down similar paths and they just don't end up being interesting enough, so I wouldn't call Venom outright bad, it's  just very meh. **1/2
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Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max returns bigger and better than ever. George Miller delivers a great action film filled with outstanding action sequences. It's glorious to see so many practical effects again, especially being executed to almost utter perfection. The cinematography is also fantastic, providing us with many beautiful shots and the actors do a fine job too, with Tom Hardy being a more than adequate replacement for Mel Gibson as Max.
Now I didn't love it as much as some people and I wouldn't consider it a masterpiece, however I do admire it's brilliant execution and while it may not offer much for those who aren't much into action. I would highly recommend those that are action fans to go see this movie, as the action really is phenomenal and needs to be seen, and you don't have to see an of the previous films to see this, as it works absolutely fine as a stand alone film.(much like the other kind of do)
Overall Miller has once again managed to outdo himself with the Mad Max series, the ambition and scope have never been higher, giving us a truly non-stop thrill ride that is truly a joy to watch. In a time where sequels and reboots can be tiresome, Mad Max: Fury Road comes hurtling forward showing how to do it right.
****

Locke (2014)

Trying to make a good minimalist film set in one location is hard, but this film manages to do it rather successfully. This is of course down to Tom Hardy's great performance holding the film together along with it's well written script. It's not necessarily a great film but its definitely a solid one and I have heaps of appreciation for it managing to be a success.
Now this is the type of film that most people will go to see just because Tom Hardy is in it but end up hating it, much like Only God Forgives with Ryan Gosling and Under The Skin with Scarlett Johansson (believe me, I've had quite a few people in all these screenings like it). But I suppose if you want something more than just 85 minutes of some guy driving then your probably not gonna enjoy this film much. But for those that like films that try things a bit differently, then it's worth checking out. Simple, effective and super solid.
***1/2