There are some movies you go to theaters to see because you know they will be fantastic experiences. Virtually all MCU films fall into this category, as does one DCEU film (yes, only one). Others you see for the fun of it, not having very high expectations, but hoping the movie will be enjoyable. That’s what you get with Venom. 

First, let me say that I’m not a Venom fan. It’s not that I don’t like the character, but I’m not very into the Spider-verse in general and have read only a couple of stories that involved the character. So I wasn’t going into this with a lot of background or fangirl thoughts on how I wanted things portrayed. However, I am still a geek who loves comicbook movies, so I wasn’t going to be happy with just anything they decided to throw on the screen.

All that being said, Venom is a fun movie. That may seem odd to say considering how dark and serious the trailers were and how much of a villain or anti-hero the character is. But the movie is genuinely funny at times – on purpose – and it’s simply an enjoyable comicbook ride. The visuals are cool, even though there are times the effects get a little muddled (watching an all-black character in nighttime action sequences can be hard on the eyes).

Sure, it’s not a deep story and the writing is downright bad at times, but you’re not there for a profound story. Venom is one of those movies you don’t need to think about as it drags you along for the ride. And consider this: the critics who were paid to watch and write about the movie have mostly given it bad reviews and yet comic fans and geeks have loved it enough to give it $80 million at the box office in the US and more than $200 million worldwide, breaking records for October.