First the good news: “Venom” isn’t as bad as some early reviews led me to believe. The “Catwoman” comparison caught me off guard, but now that I’ve seen it, I can definitely vouch for “Venom”. Unlike Halle Berry, Tom Hardy makes a believable Eddie Brock, the everyday reporter who turns into Venom following a lab incident. Hardy’s likable persona enables us to root for his character, especially as he finds himself with unusual powers overnight. Now that that’s out of the way, the principal problem with this movie is that it doesn’t take its time to deal with this transformation properly. The whole thing feels rushed, underwritten, and downright ridiculous at times. It would have helped if the movie was R-rated, or if it had a less generic villain. No such luck. Instead, we’re left with half a good story (and the movie’s first half is actually fun), that turns into a chaotic mess in the final third. The best thing about it? I guess I’d have to say the bromance (if we can call it that) between Brock and his alter-ego. Many times I found myself laughing myself silly, which felt like a breath of fresh air in a movie that’s meant to be “dark”. But at the end, it’s the finished product that matters the most, and this one simply isn’t original enough. As much as I wanted to love this film, I can’t help feeling disappointed. But wouldn’t it be great if the inevitable sequel to this movie turns out better? One can only hope.