Maybe because Tom Hardy was involved in writing and producing this iteration, the movie is a bit too gentle on his character, and doesn't demand enough of him. He was more charming and fun, likeable in the first, with this one he just looks dishevelled and unhappy, morose, throughout. I don't see the character, I see a tired and ageing actor.

There's way too much CG as well, the first movie was better balanced in this regard. The banter between Venom and Hardy's character was a highlight of the first movie, but in this second one it feels a bit forced, and the movie fails to make Venom a bit more human and likeable I felt - something about the way he appears and is represented, a bit lifeless. They should have taken a page from Pixar's book, and brought a little more humour to the visual representation of the Venom character. Something creative and bright was missing, hard to say exactly, but the movie just lacked for original ideas I felt.

So that was the overall impression - it was not very creative, there were no great little bits of character on screen, or chemistry, or just charm. Felt flat and sort of lifeless throughout, a tad fake and faked. Disappointing.