Venom 3D Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Venom 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

An entertaining comic book spectacle enhanced by 3D

Eddie Brock (Tom Holland) is an average guy who stumbles into something truly spectacular when he connects to an alien symbiote from outer-space known only as Venom. Wrapping around his entire body with a pitch-black coating, Brock turns into a superhero. Inspired by the character from the Spider-Man mythology, Venom is an action-packed comic-book extravaganza. Tom Holland is a impressive lead and with a ensemble cast which includes Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, and Jenny Slate, Venom has a lot to offer fans. Director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, Zombieland: Double Tap) makes the film a full-fledged spectacle with awesome CGI sequences that deliver non-stop excitement.

"Do you like my Halloween costume?"

For a complete review of the film please refer to the review published by my Blu-ray.com colleague Martin Liebman. Please note my rating on the film itself is my own opinion on the film.

Venom 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

There's something undeniably exciting about watching comic-book films with 3D added into the equation. The sheer spectacle of the CGI effects and the high production values help to make the additional dimension an important filmmaking asset which adds to the foundation. Venom is no exception to this rule and greatly benefits. The CGI is outstanding and the thrill ride is certainly enhanced with the addition of 3D effects.

On the down-side, Venom is a bit of a mixed-bag in terms of the quality of the 3D presentation. There are many scenes (especially early on in the film) in which there is some noticeable ghosting present on the image. The detail is also not quite as refined or as colorful as one would find on the 4K presentation as the image is significantly darker with the 3D release. Yet going in to the second half of the feature presentation, the 3D quality seems to improve significantly and adds a lot to the excitement.

While it wouldn't be possible to call this a "perfect" 3D presentation, it's still a worthwhile one that has enough to offer to fans of the medium to make it worth checking out in 3D. Don't consider it the definitive edition but consider it a worthwhile addition to the 4K presentation. There's room for both releases.

For a complete evaluation of the video please click here to view the published review on the standard edition as written by my colleague Martin Liebman.

Venom 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For a complete evaluation of the audio please click here to view the published review on the standard edition as written by my colleague Martin Liebman.

Venom 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The set includes the 3D Blu-ray disc and a standard Blu-ray disc. No extras are included on the 3D disc in this release.

The standard Blu-ray copy included in the set contains the same supplemental materials found on the US release. However, there is one lone extra which is missing (and which was likely removed due to the inclusion of additional audio/subtitle options for this foreign Blu-ray edition): From Symbiote to Screen (1080p, 20:03). The rest of the extras remain the same. Please refer to my colleagues review for more information on the extras package.

Venom 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Venom got a bad shake from most film critics: the film is enormously entertaining and Tom Hardy is great in the lead role. Though the film might fall short when it is being compared to the best Marvel and DC has to offer audiences, there's no doubt in my mind that this is a film I will enjoy revisiting again and again. The filmmaking is exceptional and the action scenes are the true standout of the experience. Director Ruben Fleischer delivers non-stop excitement without sacrificing storytelling. The CGI in the film also impresses with the design for Venom looking exactly like one one would expect to find given the comic book and animated incarnations previously seen in the Spider-Man canon.

The 3D presentation on this release is a bit dodgy with some inconsistencies. However, the second-half of the film amps up the third-dimension significantly and the last act has some stunning sequences that truly benefit from 3D. Ultimately, I still had a blast watching Venom in this format and would still recommend it to fans. While the 4K presentation of the film should be considered as the definitive version available due to the mixed results found on the 3D release, there is still plenty of good reasons to consider adding this release to one's 3D collection. The spectacle is still heightened with the 3D and that's enough to make it a worthy experience.