I'm gonna give this Venom movie a not so great rating. I still love the character. Venom is the quintissential anti-hero. Once a bad guy (though not in this universe apparently) he now tries to do the right thing while keeping within acceptable norms to exist among humans.
This movie was a good attempt but, it came across as contrived and a bit cookie cutter as far as the bad guys, Woody Harrelson and Naomi Harris, were portrayed. Psychoes enjoying newfound freedom after a fail death sentence, and lifelong incarceration is soooooo....bland. In short, "It's been done (before)."
The story from there is hit 'n miss with comedy, plot, and tension. The movie pretty much happens in that manner as well. It jumps as if each of the scenes are little movies banded together with no smooth transitions : Hardy really needs to workout or pass the character to someone else; his age is showing. Harrelson and Harris' characters really didn't mesh, the half deaf cop never really fit into the story, we didn't hear enough from Carnage, and Venom's night out didn't actually go anywhere.
The vibe of the movie felt clunky.
I'll always like Venom. But this was not particularly thrilling. There is mixed opinion on which of the two movies is better. I'll have to fall into the camp of those who liked the first Venom movie. The second, more than not, simply let me down. So, I will wait and see if another company can do better with the character than its predecessors. 3/5 stars.