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Venom: Let There Be Carnage Review: Come For Tom Hardy's Comedy Schtick, Stay For The End Credits

Plus: Ridley Scott's medieval #MeToo epic, 'The Last Duel', starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer.

Plus: Ridley Scott's medieval #MeToo epic, 'The Last Duel', starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer.

Plus: Ridley Scott's medieval #MeToo epic, 'The Last Duel', starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer.

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Venom: Let There Be Carnage (PG13)

Starring Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Naomie Harris, Stephen Graham

Directed by Andy Serkis

Despite the brutal reviews (a lowly 30% on Rotten Tomatoes), the first Venom was a curious crowd-pleaser, earning over US$850 million (S$1.15 billion) worldwide. The sequel, helmed by Andy Serkis, is headed for the same hated-by-critics-loved-by-fans territory. As before, the moments involving Tom Hardy’s struggling journo — and Ducati-lovin’ — Eddie Brock squabbling with his parasitic other half are delightful (there’s a funny recurring gag about chickens). Alas, the actors — including Woody Harrelson, revisiting his Mickey Knox persona from Natural Born Killers as serial murderer Cletus Kasady, a scene-stealer before being turned into a personality-free evil symbiote Carnage — are just placeholders for the blurry, soulless, dreary CG monster-on-monster bedlam. What’s really exciting is the end-credits sequence that hints at the long-awaited crossover from another
fan-favourite Marvel character. (2/5 stars)

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos

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1 of 1 No longer pals: Adam Driver and Matt Damon will fight to the death.


The Last Duel (R21)

Starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck

Directed by Ridley Scott

​​​​​​​Ridley Scott’s latest is a companion piece to his 1977 debut The Duellists, a Napoleonic era-set drama about two officers duking it out over a minor altercation. The Last Duel covers the same ground: two 13th century knights (Matt Damon and Adam Driver) settling a dispute — one is accused of raping the other’s wife (Jodie Comer) — in an arena. The result, told from three perspectives, is part gritty historic epic, part gripping #MeToo essay (no one believes the woman’s side of the story!). The titular smackdown is really brutal: Yes, Sir Ridley, we’re ready for Gladiator 2 whenever you are. (4/5 stars)

Photo: 20th Century Studios

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