(SPOILER WARNING!!)
6 episodes in and I'm going cold turkey with current Kamen Rider. Not even Ghost made me do this.
Kamen Rider Zi-O has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, despite the 6th episode just recently airing. The characters are either one dimensional planks of wood or despicable, sociopathic idiots. The story is derivative of other Kamen Rider seasons that told it's story far better. The action scenes are a drag and never involve any creativity or narrative flow. The constant power ups in each episode and the reasons for those power up are either idiotic or not very well explained.
But it's the most recent episodes that have pissed me off the most.
To summarise, our "heroes" are investigating a series of disappearances at the Amanogawa High School (the setting for Kamen Rider Fourze), in the year of 2016, the common link between the victims being 18 year old girls born as Libras. The last of these girls, Karin, has a connection to the Another Rider of these episodes, Another Fourze, in that it's her friend from different high school in 2003... when they were both 18. As revealed later, Karin originally died in 2003, and her friend has been trying to keep her alive by stealing the life force of other 18 year girls born as Libras. As such, Sougo and Geiz try to stop him in both timelines, as he has the powers of both Faiz and Fourze.
So, why do these episodes piss me off? Because they completely piss over the continuity of Faiz's story, as two of the central players (Takumi Inui/Faiz and his enemy Masato Kusaka/ Kaixa) are in this episode. Masato, keeping in character, tries to kill Karin to stop the Another Fourze, whereas Takumi is trying to save her.
The problem, however, comes down to this; near the end of episode 6, where they finally beat the Another Rider and Karin is allowed to pass on, Takumi, when he SAVES Masato from having his neck snapped by the Another Fourze, says that the two of them... are friends.
THAT FUCKING DOES IT!! NO MORE BEING CALM!!
Never, EVER, would Takumi or Masato consider either their friend! Why? Because in Faiz's storyline, THEY WERE TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER SEVERAL TIMES!! At best, the two just had a mutual disdain for each other, at worst full on hatred! Throughout the series, we saw Masato try to undermine every single step that Takumi had taken to be a better person; Masato would lie, cheat and manipulate the facts just so he could forcefully take the affections of Mari, a woman who would NEVER see him as more than a petty twat! Masato would kill anyone who stood in his way, just because it was fun, and if given the chance that would also include Takumi! I think the ONLY reason Masato never got the chance to kill Takumi is because Kiba/The Horse Orphenoch snapped Masato's neck first! And in these episodes, we see Masato trying to kill Karin time and again just to stop the monster, which is perfectly in character for someone who tried to kill a KID to stop a bunch of monsters!
And now, 15 years after all of that, Takumi is suddenly deciding that he and Masato are life long best friends just because of the connection to Fourze, a series wherein one of the core things that brought the team together was the power of friendship?!
Nostalgia Critc, would you mind?
This is not only out of character for Takumi, but it doesn't even make any sense in the episode's context! When, at any point, was it established that Takumi or Masato had any respect for each other? Hell, I thought Masato was gonna be revealed to be Another Faiz, as that would be a perfect means for Masato to try one last "fuck you" to Takumi and the rest of the Faiz cast, and this would also fit thematically with Faiz's story as the Rider Belts in that series were passed around more than a game of Chinese Whispers!
Fuck, I just thought of something that could've in-story justified Masato going after some random girl he otherwise wouldn't care about, if there was one thing changed; MAKE KARIN AN ORPHENOCH!! That would've been the PERFECT justification to see Takumi and Masato go at it again, as Masato has an unfiltered hatred for Orphenochs, bordering on racism, and Takumi himself is the Wolf Orphenoch! Excise this stupid subplot of a guy killing some random girls to keep Karin alive, which by proxy excises the entire involvement of Another Fourze and the Amanogawa High School, and just have it be Masato being brought back from the dead and granted the power to kill indiscriminately with Takumi teaming up with the Zi-O team to stop him! Automatically, you fix EVERY continuity issue with the episode, and you make the story more personal and actually respecting Faiz's story! How hard was that?!
In short, fuck these episodes! It's this and the Build "arc" that convinced me this will be an awful series and I'm better off skipping it. I'm gonna wait until the recently announced Kishiryu Sentai Ryusouger to come out before I get back into Tokusatsu. I just need a break from this awful series; maybe I'll finally check out Garo. The new Jinga series has just started.
So until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Man, signing off!
Monday 8 October 2018
Sunday 7 October 2018
Top 10 Best DAGames Songs (Part 1)
I think that it's fair to say that the art of YouTube musicians have come a long way since the website's inception. We go from basic song covers and lyric videos, to talented individuals bringing their all to create new, original content that is reflective of the stages of their lives. Channels like Random Encounters, CG5 and Kyle Allen Music; each of them bringing their own spin and identity to the group.
I may not be a FNaF fan (thus by proxy, not a fan of other games that follow a similar formula), but I'll be damned if I can't admit that there are kickass tie in songs because of them, and Will has made plenty.
Frankly, I think "Flumpty's Jam" has a bit of an advantage over other FNaF parody songs, because it's based on an already existing parody that doesn't take itself seriously. ONaF is meant to be a silly one and done that is still entertaining despite it's short lived lifespan, thus this is the perfect song to accompany it. It's fun, it's bonkers, it's amazingly energetic; there's not much else I can really say, aside from the fact that it's a hilarious anthem for something that, were it done by anyone else, would be quickly forgotten. But Will's energy and lyrical creativity helps keep the song stuck in my head and firmly on my Spotify list.
Not much else to say really; just a fun song by a fun artist.
9:
And:
I had only more recently gotten into "Undertale", though I doubt I'll ever play the Genocide route due to my love for the characters (especially Alphys, Undyne, sans and he, the great Papyrus). And honestly, were it not for Will's songs on this game, I likely never would've checked it out to begin.
I know it's cheating to put two songs in one spot,... but fuck off, it's my list and I'll do what I want!
"Dream On" works perfectly as a character piece for Asriel Dreemurr, a person who was so broken apart at the experience of seeing someone they care about die; someone who was stuck in the cycle of grief because they had never truly accepted that person's death and who's judgement is clouded by that grief. Will captures that character down to a T, with lyrics like "We played our very own games, Our choices left our marks, We reunite and I, Can't afford to leave you again" hitting the nail on the head while still having this poetic synergy with every line.
"Path of Genocide", on the other hand, is sheer brutality encapsulated in an excellent guitar riff and heavy drums that automatically grab your attention, the lyrics warning you of the choices you make having massive ramifications on everyone. The song essentially says "No matter what, your actions will be judged despite their intentions and you can't escape from that. Just keep your heart as strong as stone, and no judgement can ever harm you". I am going to assume, having not played the Genocide route which this is named after, that this is the ultimate message that this song is trying to spread.
Always leave it to Will to get you invested in a great game that you otherwise would've ignored.
8:
Part of the appeal with Will's video game songs is that they don't necessarily have to be tied back to their source material, which is great for someone like me given that I have never played a majority of the games that Will has made songs for.
"Bonds From The Grave" is, every sense, a DAGames song. The heart pounding beat, the intense guitar chords, the powerful vocals; all of it is distinctive and no-one else could replicate it. While with most modern rock artists, that could be seen as criticism, it helps to cement Will as a proper, consistently good artist with an amazing range of talents.
Frankly, without the "Resident Evil" connection, I can't think of much else I can say. It's just another great song from a great artist. Soooooooo,.... next one.
7:
"Cuphead" is another is the almost never ending list of games I seriously need to play, but won't either due to a lack of time or general laziness.
One of the skills that Will has is his ability to work with multiple genres, despite mainly working with rock and metal. And whenever he delves into... whatever genre this song fits into, it's a real treat.
The catchy, frenetic energy helps to keep this song in your head, and Will's differing vocals for both Cuphead and Mugman sells "Brothers in Arms" of not just a fight song, but a song expressing the importance of working together to resolve a common problem, their greatest strengths helping them overcome anything.
Once I get the time, I'll definitely check the game out, but only if I get to play this song over the rest of the soundtrack.
6:
And:
I know, cheating again, but I don't give a shit; THESE SONGS ARE AWESOME!
Even if these weren't his most popular songs (to the point where some irrational jackasses would demand him to do a Chapter 4 song before Chapter 3 even came out with no regard to his mental health. Seriously, not cool guys), these would still be up here because of how simultaneously different yet similar they are.
"Build Our Machine" is very much a storytelling song from Bendy's perspective; the recounting of the monstrosities that the characters have experienced at the hands of (presumably) a psychopath and how they have been used and abused for the sake of someone else's gain. All under the guise of an otherwise upbeat and catchy funk tune.
"Gospel of Dismay" continues the trend of a subtle horror story, this time with a perspective of not just Bendy, but Boris and Sammy as well, with Will given one of the best vocal performances of his entire music career as Boris. I can't tell you how many times I've tried doing his Boris voice with objective failure, and yet Will is able to do it naturally and with grace. It also helps that, as the title implies, there is more a gospel choir, which helps to sell the idea of the people who summoned Bendy and the other Ink Creatures being a fanatic cult.
Which, of course, leaves "Instruments of Cyanide", which I'm debating whether it's this or "Gospel of Dismay" as the best ones. This one is much more of a darker theme, with elements of fear and agony showing through in not just Will's performance, but also that of his colleagues; Caleb Hyles as the Projectionist and Chi-Chi as Susie Campbell. Their distinctive voices and vocal talents are what hold the song together and give it it's own unique flavour, complimenting by the background chants and brilliant chord progression.
Now if only some people would've gotten off of Will's back and let him take a breather, for fuck's sake.
Still, join me next time, as the list becomes a bit more personal. See you there!
Thus enter, Will "DAGames" Ryan. Starting off on Newsground under the pseudonym "Diamond Armada" with small animations, he later expanded on to YouTube with his hilarious video style, contagious enthusiasm and all around likeable attitude. Even during the times where he was going through emotional stress either to the workload or more personal issues, he has always been driven to strive for quality in his work. This is especially evident in both his gameplay vids and his music, whether it was an original song or one tied to a video game.
So, in honour of Will's accomplishments as an artist and just for being a generally awesome bloke, I am her today to count down my top 10 favourite songs of his.
That, and I actually need to make a top 10 list eventually.
A couple of ground rules before we begin:
1. This list is purely objective, and is thus my opinion being displayed in this text. If you feel that one of your favourites should be on here, comment below and let me know. Otherwise, this is strictly bias and opinion based.
2. I'm not counting songs where Will made a guest verse. This list is concerning the songs made by him and his new band "Iris". Thus, sadly, songs like "Devil's Swing", "Classic Kids Show Theme Song Medley" or others will not be on the list. Nor will Will's own song medley that he had made almost a year ago.
3. I have not heard every single song that Will has released, thus stuff like "Follow, Greet, Wait and Repeat" or "United We Stand" will not be one the list nor will this list be revised, even after I listen to those songs.
4. I won't include entire albums, as that would just clog up the whole list.
5. This will be split into two parts. It just will. The first five for this blog and the other five in the next.
3. I have not heard every single song that Will has released, thus stuff like "Follow, Greet, Wait and Repeat" or "United We Stand" will not be one the list nor will this list be revised, even after I listen to those songs.
4. I won't include entire albums, as that would just clog up the whole list.
5. This will be split into two parts. It just will. The first five for this blog and the other five in the next.
With that said, let's delay this no longer; PRESS START TO BEGIN!!
10:
I may not be a FNaF fan (thus by proxy, not a fan of other games that follow a similar formula), but I'll be damned if I can't admit that there are kickass tie in songs because of them, and Will has made plenty.
Frankly, I think "Flumpty's Jam" has a bit of an advantage over other FNaF parody songs, because it's based on an already existing parody that doesn't take itself seriously. ONaF is meant to be a silly one and done that is still entertaining despite it's short lived lifespan, thus this is the perfect song to accompany it. It's fun, it's bonkers, it's amazingly energetic; there's not much else I can really say, aside from the fact that it's a hilarious anthem for something that, were it done by anyone else, would be quickly forgotten. But Will's energy and lyrical creativity helps keep the song stuck in my head and firmly on my Spotify list.
Not much else to say really; just a fun song by a fun artist.
9:
And:
I had only more recently gotten into "Undertale", though I doubt I'll ever play the Genocide route due to my love for the characters (especially Alphys, Undyne, sans and he, the great Papyrus). And honestly, were it not for Will's songs on this game, I likely never would've checked it out to begin.
I know it's cheating to put two songs in one spot,... but fuck off, it's my list and I'll do what I want!
"Dream On" works perfectly as a character piece for Asriel Dreemurr, a person who was so broken apart at the experience of seeing someone they care about die; someone who was stuck in the cycle of grief because they had never truly accepted that person's death and who's judgement is clouded by that grief. Will captures that character down to a T, with lyrics like "We played our very own games, Our choices left our marks, We reunite and I, Can't afford to leave you again" hitting the nail on the head while still having this poetic synergy with every line.
"Path of Genocide", on the other hand, is sheer brutality encapsulated in an excellent guitar riff and heavy drums that automatically grab your attention, the lyrics warning you of the choices you make having massive ramifications on everyone. The song essentially says "No matter what, your actions will be judged despite their intentions and you can't escape from that. Just keep your heart as strong as stone, and no judgement can ever harm you". I am going to assume, having not played the Genocide route which this is named after, that this is the ultimate message that this song is trying to spread.
Always leave it to Will to get you invested in a great game that you otherwise would've ignored.
8:
Part of the appeal with Will's video game songs is that they don't necessarily have to be tied back to their source material, which is great for someone like me given that I have never played a majority of the games that Will has made songs for.
"Bonds From The Grave" is, every sense, a DAGames song. The heart pounding beat, the intense guitar chords, the powerful vocals; all of it is distinctive and no-one else could replicate it. While with most modern rock artists, that could be seen as criticism, it helps to cement Will as a proper, consistently good artist with an amazing range of talents.
Frankly, without the "Resident Evil" connection, I can't think of much else I can say. It's just another great song from a great artist. Soooooooo,.... next one.
7:
"Cuphead" is another is the almost never ending list of games I seriously need to play, but won't either due to a lack of time or general laziness.
One of the skills that Will has is his ability to work with multiple genres, despite mainly working with rock and metal. And whenever he delves into... whatever genre this song fits into, it's a real treat.
The catchy, frenetic energy helps to keep this song in your head, and Will's differing vocals for both Cuphead and Mugman sells "Brothers in Arms" of not just a fight song, but a song expressing the importance of working together to resolve a common problem, their greatest strengths helping them overcome anything.
Once I get the time, I'll definitely check the game out, but only if I get to play this song over the rest of the soundtrack.
6:
And:
I know, cheating again, but I don't give a shit; THESE SONGS ARE AWESOME!
Even if these weren't his most popular songs (to the point where some irrational jackasses would demand him to do a Chapter 4 song before Chapter 3 even came out with no regard to his mental health. Seriously, not cool guys), these would still be up here because of how simultaneously different yet similar they are.
"Build Our Machine" is very much a storytelling song from Bendy's perspective; the recounting of the monstrosities that the characters have experienced at the hands of (presumably) a psychopath and how they have been used and abused for the sake of someone else's gain. All under the guise of an otherwise upbeat and catchy funk tune.
"Gospel of Dismay" continues the trend of a subtle horror story, this time with a perspective of not just Bendy, but Boris and Sammy as well, with Will given one of the best vocal performances of his entire music career as Boris. I can't tell you how many times I've tried doing his Boris voice with objective failure, and yet Will is able to do it naturally and with grace. It also helps that, as the title implies, there is more a gospel choir, which helps to sell the idea of the people who summoned Bendy and the other Ink Creatures being a fanatic cult.
Which, of course, leaves "Instruments of Cyanide", which I'm debating whether it's this or "Gospel of Dismay" as the best ones. This one is much more of a darker theme, with elements of fear and agony showing through in not just Will's performance, but also that of his colleagues; Caleb Hyles as the Projectionist and Chi-Chi as Susie Campbell. Their distinctive voices and vocal talents are what hold the song together and give it it's own unique flavour, complimenting by the background chants and brilliant chord progression.
Now if only some people would've gotten off of Will's back and let him take a breather, for fuck's sake.
Still, join me next time, as the list becomes a bit more personal. See you there!
Friday 5 October 2018
Venom (2018)
(SPOILER WARNING!!)
I'm gonna start this off by the giving the film the faintest form of praise; any, and I do mean ANY, other depiction of this character is better than what was seen in "Spider-Man 3".
After the, shall we say, heated reactions to the film from fans, especially with it's bastardised depiction of the character of Eddie Brock/Venom, it became clear that Avi Arad, the producer most responsible for forcing the character into the story, could not be trusted to helm any project regarding everyone's favourite red and blue web-head. His, and Sony's, mandates and revisions are ultimately what lead to the film being he worst of any Spider-Man movie as hardly any of it was actually Sam Raimi's vision, especially as Raimi didn't want Venom in the film due to hating the character.
Thus when I had heard that Arad assigned himself as the producer for a future spin-off film, I was pissed! This idiot was more concerned with just holding on to the rights to the character and wanting to bank off of having him in his own movie, despite the fact that he apparently wanted to do it without Spider-Man involved. Even when actual talent was brought on to the film, namely the main star Tom Hardy and director Ruben Fleischer of "Zombieland", I had very little hope that this film would succeed. And initially, that seems to be the case, with a current 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and most critics giving the film slanderous reviews.
And yes, I'm aware of the whole ""A Star is Born" fans writing fake reviews on "Venom"" fiasco. It's honestly on par with the "Disney paid critics to hate "Suicide Squad"" thing on how ridiculously stupid it is.
But with that said, likely due to my lowered expectations, I actually ended up having a fun time with this film. Now, does that make it good?
But I honestly think that the critics are over reacting with this one.
Anyways, plot synopsis; Tom Hardy plays our protagonist Eddie Brock, an investigative reporter who uncovers conspiracies for his news station, and is happily engaged to attorney Anne Weying (played by Michelle Williams). That is until one day, he is given the task to interview Life Foundation CEO Carlton Drake (played by Riz Ahmed) concerning the companies expanses to space travel. However, Eddie steers the conversation to claims of illegal human experimentation on the homeless which ends up getting both him and Anne fired from their jobs, breaking off the engagement.
Cut to 6 months later, and Eddie is on his last rope when he is approached by Dr Dora Skirth (played by Jenny Slate), who warns Eddie that the rumours were true; Drake has been using the homeless in a series of tests to perfect symbiosis between humans and alien creatures that have been brought back on the Life Foundation's latest space exploration. Eddie investigates, only to get infected with one of the three remaining creatures, nicknamed symbiotes. This symbiote, calling itself Venom, bonds with Eddie in order to savour it's hunger for flesh, and Eddie has to find a way to balance that, as well as stop whatever bullshit plan Drake wants to pull with the symbiotes.
When you get down to it, the plot is fairly straight forward. Which, really, is part of the problem.
With this essentially being the kickstart to a new series of Sony movies with what little Marvel properties they have left, you'd expect them to do something more that what was already seen in not 1, not 2, but all 3 "Iron Man" movies! This is almost note for note the same plan we got from the likes of Obadiah Stane, or Justin Hammer, or Aldrich Killian; a random asshole in a business suit with little to no charisma who wants money, or to take over the world, or... actually, what DOES Drake want?
At least with the "Iron Man" villains, I know what they want; the first two want money and Tony out of the picture, whereas the third wants revenge and to spread fear and chaos. Carlton Drake? He has no real end goal, and thus is a pathetic villain on par with the likes of Malekith from "Thor: The Dark World" and Ronan the Accuser from "Guardians of the Galaxy". As such, we ultimately don't feel threatened when he eventually bonds with the symbiotes leader, Riot, to go back into space. To summarise; shit villains.
Which is a shame, as I feel that the rest of the cast gave legitimately good performances, even with the film having some pretty shitty dialogue at points. And this is especially true for Tom Hardy, who I felt was the perfect casting choice for Eddie Brock. I certainly see more of Eddie's character in Hardy's portrayal than what we got from Topher Grace's. For one, he and the symbiote have a great dynamic between the two, their interactions really helping to the sell the dialogue that, were it anyone else, wouldn't have worked as well as it does. That's not to say that it's PERFECT, mind you;
Who the fuck talks like that?!
But I honestly do enjoy watching Eddie and the symbiote interact, thus making it the best part of the movie.
Also, I don't care what anyone else says; Venom looks fucking awesome in this film. Even with the absence of the spider logo, he still looks like he jumped right off of the panel and into live action.
Sadly, the same can't be said for the rest of the cast, as despite giving good performances (bar Riz Ahmed practically sleepwalking through the scripts), none of the side characters ever feel important or have any real chemistry with Eddie. Some of this may be because of dialogue, or maybe it was in the 40 minutes of the film that was cut before release, but this film really could of used more interaction between the cast to help make the characters feel real.
Even the action, despite it being creative in some spots, feels a bit disjointed, namely due to the rapid fire editing that makes it harder to make out what's happening on screen, and Venom and Riot in the final fight have practically identical designs aside from Riot being slightly bulkier. It integrates the CGI fine for what it's worth and there is some impressive choreography that keeps the energy going, but it's otherwise worthless if we can't see most of it due to the close-ups and shotgun editing.
At the end of the day, I can best describe this film like this; it's not bad enough to be offensive to fans of the character, but it also isn't good enough to truly stand out from other mediocre stand-alone superhero films. Had this film NOT had Avi Arad as producer and put in the hands of more competent script writers, it may have had a better shake of things. But as is, the film itself is just a general shoulder shrug. I don't hate it, but it could of been more.
Although there is one thing that I absolutely love about this film; the end credits song by Eminem! Seriously, Eminem's "Venom" is so dumb and doesn't fit the films already confusing tone, but it is fucking amazing! Go on, give it a listen!
Overall rating: 5/10 (Perfectly serviceable).
Next time, we'll finally be doing a top 10 list for this little gig of mine. So until then; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Man, signing off!
I'm gonna start this off by the giving the film the faintest form of praise; any, and I do mean ANY, other depiction of this character is better than what was seen in "Spider-Man 3".
After the, shall we say, heated reactions to the film from fans, especially with it's bastardised depiction of the character of Eddie Brock/Venom, it became clear that Avi Arad, the producer most responsible for forcing the character into the story, could not be trusted to helm any project regarding everyone's favourite red and blue web-head. His, and Sony's, mandates and revisions are ultimately what lead to the film being he worst of any Spider-Man movie as hardly any of it was actually Sam Raimi's vision, especially as Raimi didn't want Venom in the film due to hating the character.
Thus when I had heard that Arad assigned himself as the producer for a future spin-off film, I was pissed! This idiot was more concerned with just holding on to the rights to the character and wanting to bank off of having him in his own movie, despite the fact that he apparently wanted to do it without Spider-Man involved. Even when actual talent was brought on to the film, namely the main star Tom Hardy and director Ruben Fleischer of "Zombieland", I had very little hope that this film would succeed. And initially, that seems to be the case, with a current 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and most critics giving the film slanderous reviews.
And yes, I'm aware of the whole ""A Star is Born" fans writing fake reviews on "Venom"" fiasco. It's honestly on par with the "Disney paid critics to hate "Suicide Squad"" thing on how ridiculously stupid it is.
But with that said, likely due to my lowered expectations, I actually ended up having a fun time with this film. Now, does that make it good?
But I honestly think that the critics are over reacting with this one.
Anyways, plot synopsis; Tom Hardy plays our protagonist Eddie Brock, an investigative reporter who uncovers conspiracies for his news station, and is happily engaged to attorney Anne Weying (played by Michelle Williams). That is until one day, he is given the task to interview Life Foundation CEO Carlton Drake (played by Riz Ahmed) concerning the companies expanses to space travel. However, Eddie steers the conversation to claims of illegal human experimentation on the homeless which ends up getting both him and Anne fired from their jobs, breaking off the engagement.
Cut to 6 months later, and Eddie is on his last rope when he is approached by Dr Dora Skirth (played by Jenny Slate), who warns Eddie that the rumours were true; Drake has been using the homeless in a series of tests to perfect symbiosis between humans and alien creatures that have been brought back on the Life Foundation's latest space exploration. Eddie investigates, only to get infected with one of the three remaining creatures, nicknamed symbiotes. This symbiote, calling itself Venom, bonds with Eddie in order to savour it's hunger for flesh, and Eddie has to find a way to balance that, as well as stop whatever bullshit plan Drake wants to pull with the symbiotes.
When you get down to it, the plot is fairly straight forward. Which, really, is part of the problem.
With this essentially being the kickstart to a new series of Sony movies with what little Marvel properties they have left, you'd expect them to do something more that what was already seen in not 1, not 2, but all 3 "Iron Man" movies! This is almost note for note the same plan we got from the likes of Obadiah Stane, or Justin Hammer, or Aldrich Killian; a random asshole in a business suit with little to no charisma who wants money, or to take over the world, or... actually, what DOES Drake want?
At least with the "Iron Man" villains, I know what they want; the first two want money and Tony out of the picture, whereas the third wants revenge and to spread fear and chaos. Carlton Drake? He has no real end goal, and thus is a pathetic villain on par with the likes of Malekith from "Thor: The Dark World" and Ronan the Accuser from "Guardians of the Galaxy". As such, we ultimately don't feel threatened when he eventually bonds with the symbiotes leader, Riot, to go back into space. To summarise; shit villains.
Which is a shame, as I feel that the rest of the cast gave legitimately good performances, even with the film having some pretty shitty dialogue at points. And this is especially true for Tom Hardy, who I felt was the perfect casting choice for Eddie Brock. I certainly see more of Eddie's character in Hardy's portrayal than what we got from Topher Grace's. For one, he and the symbiote have a great dynamic between the two, their interactions really helping to the sell the dialogue that, were it anyone else, wouldn't have worked as well as it does. That's not to say that it's PERFECT, mind you;
Who the fuck talks like that?!
But I honestly do enjoy watching Eddie and the symbiote interact, thus making it the best part of the movie.
Also, I don't care what anyone else says; Venom looks fucking awesome in this film. Even with the absence of the spider logo, he still looks like he jumped right off of the panel and into live action.
Sadly, the same can't be said for the rest of the cast, as despite giving good performances (bar Riz Ahmed practically sleepwalking through the scripts), none of the side characters ever feel important or have any real chemistry with Eddie. Some of this may be because of dialogue, or maybe it was in the 40 minutes of the film that was cut before release, but this film really could of used more interaction between the cast to help make the characters feel real.
Even the action, despite it being creative in some spots, feels a bit disjointed, namely due to the rapid fire editing that makes it harder to make out what's happening on screen, and Venom and Riot in the final fight have practically identical designs aside from Riot being slightly bulkier. It integrates the CGI fine for what it's worth and there is some impressive choreography that keeps the energy going, but it's otherwise worthless if we can't see most of it due to the close-ups and shotgun editing.
At the end of the day, I can best describe this film like this; it's not bad enough to be offensive to fans of the character, but it also isn't good enough to truly stand out from other mediocre stand-alone superhero films. Had this film NOT had Avi Arad as producer and put in the hands of more competent script writers, it may have had a better shake of things. But as is, the film itself is just a general shoulder shrug. I don't hate it, but it could of been more.
Although there is one thing that I absolutely love about this film; the end credits song by Eminem! Seriously, Eminem's "Venom" is so dumb and doesn't fit the films already confusing tone, but it is fucking amazing! Go on, give it a listen!
Overall rating: 5/10 (Perfectly serviceable).
Next time, we'll finally be doing a top 10 list for this little gig of mine. So until then; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Man, signing off!
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