6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Investigative journalist Eddie Brock struggles to adjust to life as the host of the alien symbiote Venom, which grants him super-human abilities in order to be a lethal vigilante. Brock attempts to reignite his career by interviewing serial killer Cletus Kasady, who becomes the host of the symbiote Carnage and escapes prison after a failed execution.
Starring: Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid ScottAction | 100% |
Adventure | 79% |
Comic book | 73% |
Sci-Fi | 70% |
Horror | 4% |
Thriller | 3% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French (Canada): DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48 kHz, 16-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Indonesian, Korean, Malay, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Venom: Let there Be Carnage is something of a double entendre title, at once promising Carnage, the character, and carnage, the mayhem that will result when Carnage and Venom face off in an epic battle of slimy, sinewy, symbiotic creatures. The film is a follow-up to 2018's Venom which was lukewarmly received at best but still turned a massive $856 million dollar box office return. Let There Be Carnage wasn't nearly so financially successful (but that is pulled in $483 million in a drastically different economy and social climate means that it still can be labeled as a fairly large success). The film isn't all that great in the grand scheme of the larger Superhero (or in this case anti-Superhero) landscape, but it gets by through sheer force of will vis-à-vis its endless parade of special effects and mostly successful stabs at humor that offset that scarier and would-be gorier aspects that have been watered down for PG-13 Marvel audiences.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage slithers onto the UHD format with a high quality 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation. The picture quality is a
solid step forward from the companion and concurrently released Blu-ray, offering a crisper façade, a cleaner sheen, and more deeply intensive
colors. The textural intimacy is improved, but not by leaps and bounds. That is more a compliment to the Blu-ray's intense clarity and detail than it a
knock to the UHD, which does bring out even better clarity from faces, environments, and even the creature effects, revealing the latter for all they're
worth in each and every sinewy tentacle. The picture on the UHD offers a more stable level of clarity and textural sheen as well, boosting the overall
crispness and fidelity to what looks like the near peak for the film. The Dolby Vision color grading adds depth more than tonal intensity, particularly
considering that so much of the movie takes place in warm and low light. But splashes of color do yield more aggressive vividness and fullness while
whites are brighter and blacks are deeper, the latter vital to the movie's presentation. The UHD shows no serious source blemishes or encode fumbles.
This is a great looking UHD from Sony.
Sony's UHD release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage offers a Dolby Atmos track, adding several additional channels that are not available on the Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The expansion is most appreciated, and the sonic result is a step above even the excellent 5.1 track with more satisfying and seamless immersion as well as some sophisticated top end use, particularly during a climactic battle inside a church in the final act where action swoops and swirls above and around the listener, a church bell rings with superb depth and authority and top layer placement, and so much more. Even in quieter moments, though, the sense of spatial awareness, as little sounds and dialogue reverberate through the listening area, are absolute delights. No matter where the film goes, sonically, clarity remains tight, whether considering score or action or ambience or anything else, and no matter to what degree of aural intensity. The track is wonderful in its ability to fine tune the experience to every shot, scene, and sequence, leaving every audio element perfectly integrated, detailed, and prioritized. This is an A-plus listen from Sony.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage includes no extras (beyond trailers) on the UHD disc but the bundled Blu-ray offers a number of featurettes
and several deleted scenes. A Movies Anywhere
digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage isn't breaking any new ground. It's a mildly humorous, effects heavy, watered down PG-13 Action/Horror/Comedy set within the Marvel universe that is hamstrung by its inclusion therein. It seems ripe for something darker and more sinister than what is delivered here, which is an endless stream of seen 'em before VFX and action scenes that in 2021 don't do much to stand apart from the crowd. It's a decent watch, but that's about it. Sony's UHD delivers top-flight A/V presentations and some extras on the included Blu-ray disc. Recommended for fans.
Limited Edition / Reprint
2021
2021
Foil Artwork
2021
Fan Art Edition
2021
2021
2013
Limited Edition / Reprint
2018
2015
1980
2019
2023
Theatrical & Extended Cut
2016
2018
2013
2013
2018
Extended and Theatrical versions
2011
1978
2006 Original Release
2006
Live. Die. Repeat.
2014
2014
The Richard Donner Cut
1980-2006
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
Cinematic Universe Edition
2018
plus Theatrical Cut on standard Blu-ray
2016