Tom Hardy is back as everyone's favorite fast-talking symbiote. Yep, Venom: The Last Dance is upon us, reuniting viewers with Eddie Brock and his angrier other half for one more ride into the sunset. And that's basically what much of the third movie in the Venom franchise is, as the duo spend a portion of it on the run from multiple threats.
The final installment in the Venom trilogy, it sees creatures from Venom's home world come to collect him. He has something that their creator, Knull, needs and that makes this film their most outlandish yet. The stakes couldn't be higher as the duo fight to survive, attempting to outrun their monstrous enemies as well as the FBI, which is still after him
With all of that in mind, the Sony Marvel movie is going to be one of the most popular movies of the year if its box office runs resembles the previous two movies. If you're planning on taking your kids to see it at the cinema, here's what you need to know.
Venom: The Last Dance is rated PG-13 for violence and action
Like most superhero movies these days, Venom: The Last Dance has earned itself an age rating of PG-13 from the MPAA for "intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images and strong language". That's the same age rating that the previous Venom movies had, and it's also the same age rating that most of Marvel Studios' MCU movies have, too.
On that front, there isn't much of a difference because PG-13 is the norm for comic book franchise movies these days. However, the Venom film series is known to take things a bit further due to its alien origins, which the rating description certainly suggests. There are scarier, more violent moments in this particular franchise because, after all, Venom and his fellow symbiotes aren't exactly known for going light on whoever threatens to harm them.
If you live in the UK, the film has been rated 15, meaning that people under the age of 15 can't view it. That's a little higher than the US's PG-13 rating, but the British Board of Film Classification has given it that rating due to "strong violence" and "language".
If you would like a more detailed breakdown of what to expect from the film and why it earns those ratings, read on.
Violence: As always with the Venom movies, the violence is the most regular issue that might prevent younger audiences from seeing it. It's always played for laughs, but it's still there. And by still there, we mean that, in the first act, Venom takes on four men and bites each of their heads off. There is minimal blood and, again, the movie's comedic tone means that it doesn't linger on it. Venom simply thanks Eddie for always taking him "to the finest places" to eat.
There are more threatening uses of violence throughout the movie. Nothing lingers, but a giant alien creature eats a number of nearby soldiers and each time a light shower of blood spurts out of its back (implying that it shredded them with its teeth). Later in the movie, that same creature stabs people with one of its long tails and lifts them into the air.
The final battle between Venom and the Xenophage creature features a lot of alien-on-alien violence. It's all CGI and very fantastical, so that isn't particularly concerning for younger viewers, but it's worth noting anyway given that the Xenophages are such scary creatures.
Language: It wouldn't be a Venom movie without a curse word or five. Words like "sh*t", "assh*le", and "d*ck" are used quite regularly, but there is also one use "sl*t" and one use of "motherf*cker" which might catch you off-guard.
The "bad" language is second nature to these movies, so if you and your family have seen the previous two Venom installments, the swearing likely won't stick out at all.
Scariness: The Venom movies are renowned for occasionally scary moments and there are a number of them in The Last Dance. More than usual in fact, simply because we are dealing with more symbiotes and monsters than before. The opening scene features Knull in a dark cave surrounded by shadows and silhouettes of alien symbiotes and Xenophages, which is a scene that was first revealed in one of the movie's trailers.
The Xenophages themselves are pretty terrifying, as they are large, crab/spider-like creatures with multiple legs, a long spiky tail, and multiple layers of sharp, razor-like teeth.
Drugs and Alcohol: The use of alcohol in Venom 3 isn't in-your-face but the movie does lean on Eddie Brock having an extremely long-lasting hangover from all of the drinking that he did while in a bar early on in the film. It's used for comedic effect so that Eddie can be moody whenever Venom is up for anything.
You know your kids best, so if they enjoyed the previous two Venom movies, then they will likely enjoy this one. But, even though the second film in the trilogy was the darkest, there is no denying that The Last Dance is a bit more violent than its predecessors. And that might make it a little too much for particularly younger kids.
Venom: The Last Dance is now playing in theaters.