Apparently, Marvel fans didn't get enough of "Venom" with the 2018 original, so we have the sequel, "Let There Be Carnage." Tom Hardy is back as a down-on-his luck reporter, Eddie. His body plays host to an annoying alien, Venom, who talks to him in a voice that sounds like Bumblebee from "Transformers."
Eddie lands an exclusive interview with a serial killer played by Woody Harrelson and gets a little too close on Death Row, leading to a blood transfer. Woody becomes the bigger, badder, redder alien, Carnage. He's not satisfied with just a prison escape, he has to bust his very loud girlfriend Shriek (Naomie Harris) out of the insane asylum. That leads to an ultimate showdown between the black and red symbiotes.
I compare these "Venom" movies to the B-side of a hit Marvel record. The first one wasn't good but made nearly $900 million. Money begets sequels. This one might be worse. Andy Serkis directs. He knows a thing or two about special effects, but this just comes off sloppy. Michelle Williams is too classy to return as Hardy's estranged girlfriend. (Yes, you should wait for the credits for an appearance by a Marvel superhero who's a step above.)
Columbia Pictures. Rated PG-13. Running Time 1 hr. 30 mins. In Theaters Only.
THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK
Who misses "The Sopranos?" I do. Creator David Chase didn't want to make a sequel to his award-winning series, but the idea of a prequel enticed him. So, we have "The Many Saints of Newark." Set in the '60s, when the city was torn apart by race riots, the story of Tony Soprano's womanizing Uncle Dickie is front and center. That surprised me, with so much hype around the late James Gandolfini's son, Michael, playing the young Tony. His is a smaller role. He's reluctant to join the family business, yet we can see the seeds of menace growing. Uncle Dickie is ruthless, as you'd expect, but so is "Hamilton's" Leslie Odom, Jr. playing a runner who becomes a vengeful rival. Ray Liotta plays a double role as brothers, which doesn't quite work.
"The Sopranos" was one of the best series ever. This is well made but doesn't quite live up to its source material. It does whet my appetite to see the young Gandolfini grow into the role in a next film. He shows promise. R.I.P., his marvelous dad.
Warner Bros./HBO Films. Rated R. Running Time 2 hrs. In Theaters and Streaming on HBO Max.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2
Snap your fingers twice. "The Addams Family" is back with a sequel. Wednesday Addams feels like she doesn't fit in with the 'fam. A cross-country trip for bonding brings the Addamses to Texas for a laugh or two as Wednesday is forced into a "Little Miss Jalapeño" contest. Meantime, a lawyer is hot on the family's trail. Turns out, he represents a mad scientist who claims Wednesday is his daughter so he can get the formula from her school science project. Meantime, Uncle Fester adds to the confusion when he thinks he might have had a hand in switching her at birth.
Oscar Isaac and Charlize Theron reprise their voice roles as parents, Gomez and Morticia, with Chloe Grace Moretz as Wednesday. And we can't forget Snoop Dogg as Cousin It, now living the high life in Miami. Look, these are cute films, perfectly placed leading into Halloween. Nothing more, nothing less. They're creepy, and they're cooky. Snap, snap.
United Artists. Rated PG. Running Time 1 hr. 33 mins. In Theaters and On Demand.
THE JESUS MUSIC
Fans of contemporary Christian music might want to check this out. I was not able to screen it by deadline. Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant co-executive produce the documentary about the origins of the music movement in the '60s in Southern California. We also get back stories from several artists, including North Texas's own Kirk Franklin. I spoke to Smith and he says this film will be a real eye-opener for a lot of people, and he's grateful to his followers.
Lionsgate. Rated PG-13. Running Time 1 hr. 49 mins. In Theaters Only.