Venom: The Last Dance is a fun-filled entertainer that takes the madness some notches higher, compared to the first two parts. The first half, however, is not up to the mark. Certain characters are given a raw deal, despite establishing them well. Thankfully, the best is reserved for the second half. The last 30 minutes is mass appealing and have some great clap-worthy scenes. Tom Hardy seems at ease and is likeable, especially when he's trying to pretend that there's no alien inside him. Chiwetel Ejiofor lends able support. Juno Temple (Dr Payne) and Clark Backo (Sadie) do well. Stephen Graham (Mulligan) is shamelessly wasted. Rhys Ifans (Martin Moon), Alanna Ubach (Nova Moon) and the actors playing their kids are adorable. All in all, Venom: The Last Dance is a timepass mass entertainer.

My rating - *** out of 5!

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE TO SAVE THEATRES IN THIS DULL PRE-DIWALI PERIOD

Stree 2 emerged as the biggest blockbuster of Hindi cinema, after which the theatrical business has been struggling. A lot was expected from Joker: Folie à Deux. However, the way it crashed after a decent first day was a shocker. Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video and Jigra also couldn’t do much. Devara - Part 1 did get some footfalls although it underperformed. Vettaiyan got some audience in the Hindi version. The exhibitors were ready to struggle until Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3's release next Friday. Hence, they were pleasantly surprised to see that Venom: The Last Dance is all set for a solid opening.

Venom: The Last Dance is the third part of the Venom franchise. The earlier two parts were decent successes. The second instalment, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, was released in 2021 when Maharashtra was shut and when cinemas were operating at 50% occupancy. Yet, it had a fair opening. The series also has an advantage as it’s not elite. It has a following even among the masses.

Venom: The Last Dance will have paid previews on Thursday, October 24 and a full-fledged release on Friday, October 25. With no other film playing, the film is set to have a wide paid preview release, which is unusual. The advance ticket sales are great and it’ll open at around Rs. 4 crores, though shows start from 4:00 pm on Thursday. If the reports are positive, it’ll collect around Rs. 6 crores on Friday. At this rate, it’ll have weekend collections of Rs. 20 crores. This would be more than the three-day collections of Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video and Jigra.

Its second-week collections will be greatly impacted since Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 release on Diwali and will take away a big chunk of the screens. Nevertheless, a Rs. 40 crore lifetime will be great for the film. It also has chances to cross the Rs. 50 crore mark if it trends, albeit at lower levels, from the second week.