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 | 74% |
Sci-Fi | 70% |
Horror | 4% |
Thriller | 2% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 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 (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
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.
This is the sort of Blu-ray release for which one could theoretically write the video review ahead of time and only make a few personalized tweaks after watching because, well, it's a brand-new big budget blockbuster and it's a Sony title, so expectations are more or less locked in for PQ excellence. Sony most certainly delivers as expected. The Blu-ray is excellent, featuring amongst the best precision detailing one is going to find on the format. Close-ups of both human skin and the complex, sinewy digital constructs reveal superb definition and intimate clarity, neither of which could be handled better. Details across the board are painstakingly precise, showing various environments, such as the messy and well-worn interior space Eddie and Venom call home, for as much raw definition as the 1080p resolution can muster. Colors are fine, too; the movie is a bit dark by its nature, often taking place in warmer and lower light, but there's a good foundational depth and neutrally inclined contrast at work. Black levels could stand to be a tad darker but even still it's hard to be too disappointed in any one area. The image shows some very mild noise in the most extreme low light situations. There are no troubling encode issues to report, either. This is a spiffy new release image from Sony.
Sony brings Venom: Let There Be Carnage to Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack (the companion and concurrently released UHD features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack). As with the video, this one is predictably great, even if it lacks the superior fullness found on the UHD offering. The presentation excels with every component, whether delivering robustly large and bass-intensive music, which spreads far across the front and which seamlessly integrates the surrounds for a balanced full stage experience, or action, which is also completely immersive and unafraid of engaging the low end for a healthy wallop of LFE delight. The track maintains balance even in aggressive volume and intensity, and it holds clarity to precise elements even when the content is at its most intensive. The track handles little atmospheric bits well, too, most such things folding effortlessly into the larger sonic picture. Dialogue is clear and center focused for the duration. It maintains prioritization even in scenes with surrounding high output content.
This Blu-ray release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage includes a number of featurettes and several deleted scenes. A DVD copy of the film
and a Movies Anywhere
digital copy code are 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 Blu-ray delivers top-flight A/V presentations and some extras. Recommended for fans.
Limited Edition / Reprint
2021
2021
2021
Foil Artwork
2021
Fan Art Edition
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