I think it's fair to say that Sony's attempts to build a Marvel universe based around characters associated with Spider-Man have not been their most successful. Both Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage have been met with a reasonable amount of criticism. I personally enjoyed the first movie, although I can't say the same for the sequel, which at the very least does not live up to its title. Bringing us to the next Spidey villain/anti-hero that Sony has rolled out to populate their fledgeling - or should that be floundering - universe... Doctor Michael Morbius, living vampire. It's an interesting choice, some may even call it bold. It is not, however, one that pays off.
In this latest iteration, the tragic tale of Michael Morbius is reduced to a rather bland affair. Morbius (the movie, that is) is a perfect example of a 'paint by numbers' origin story. One in which not a whole lot actually happens, and when it does it's painfully predictable. Even the action - what little there is of it - feels pretty uninspired. Morbius never really gets to explore his abilities. There's maybe one good (I use the term loosely) action scene that comes right after his transformation, and that's about it. After that, when it looks like the movie is finally going to kick into some sort of high gear, it just doesn't. Even the final battle is a non-starter; no real fighting, just a big fall and a swarm of bats. All of which looks terrible thanks to some pretty crappy visual effects, reminiscent of CGI rubber Neo in The Matrix sequels. And as with the Venom movies, Morbius suffers from a distinct lack of gore. In fact, any kind of horror styling that may have been teased in the trailers is totally absent from the movie. I know he's a 'living vampire', but surely this is still meant to be a vampire movie... right?
Now, Jared Leto does do a fair job of bringing the good doctor to life, with all his struggles and his intelligence, and the conflict between them - something that was apparently torturous for the crew thanks to Leto's method acting - but again, he doesn't really get to do anything with the character. There isn't even an interesting villain for him to go up against, which goes some way to explaining the lacklustre finale. For that matter, all of the supporting cast are wasted. So much so it begs the question; 'What movie did they sign up for?' For a mentor and friend to Morbius, Jared Harris serves pretty much no purpose. The same goes for Matt Smith. Whereas Adria Arjona's character gets the same treatment as that of Michelle Williams' in Venom and Stephen Graham's in Venom: Let There Be Carnage; she gets to show up here and there with no real purpose, on the promise of a bigger role in future movies. Even Tyrese Gibson and Al Madrigal's roles as the FBI agents investigating Morbius have been reduced so much they might as well not be in this movie. Who knows? Maybe they'll get to be in the sequel too.
Speaking of sequels, there is a mid-credit sequence or two. As with Venom: Let There Be Carnage, they both tie into the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home and speak to Sony's desire to bring a certain team to life - something they've been trying to do for quite some time. The only problem is they don't make a whole lot of sense, to the point that it screams corporate interference. On the plus side, however, unlike Venom: Let There Be Carnage, at least Morbius won't only be remembered for its mid-credits scene!
Sony's attempts to build their own live-action Marvel universe have gone from bad to worse. Instead of a dark and horror-esque introduction to the 'living vampire', Morbius is a dull and predictable mess. One in which a great cast is wasted, and nothing much actually happens.
1/10
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