Book Review: The Toilers of the Sea by Victor Hugo (Classics)

Title: The Toilers of the Sea
Author: Victor Hugo
Publisher: Modern Library
Publication Date: 2002 (1866)
Pages: 480
Format: Paperback
Genre: Classics
Source: Bought Copy
 

Book Review: A Dance of Water & Air by Antonia Aquilante (MM/Fantasy)

Title: A Dance of Water & Air (Elemental Magicae #1)
Author: Antonia Aquilante
Publisher: NineStar Press
Publication Date: 1 October 2018
Pages: 214
Format: eBook - EPUB
Genre: MM/Fantasy
Source: ARC via NetGalley
 

Book Review: Book Love by Debbie Tung (Comic/Humour)

Title: Book Love
Author: Debbie Tung
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: 1 January 2019
Pages: 144
Format: eBook - PDF
Genre: Comic/Humour
Source: ARC via NetGalley
 

Film Review: Venom

Venom
15 October 2018
112 mins
PG-13
Ruben Fleischer (Director) 
Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Action

When Eddie Brock acquires the powers of a symbiote, he will have to release his alter-ego "Venom" to save his life. (IMDB Synopsis)

The idea of Venom really appeals to me. I love stories where there is some form of 'possession', with two people inhabiting a single body. It provides so many wonderful possibilities. I was, therefore, predisposed to like the story and character, and overall, I did find this a fun and enjoyable film. However, I can't help but feel it could have been so much more. In the ten years of MCU, superhero movies have come a long way, but to a certain extent, this felt like a step back to those of the late 90s/early 00s, with only average effects, cheesy dialogue (especially some of Venom's lines), and underdeveloped characters. I have heard that Tom Hardy is upset over material that was cut, and I would be interested to see those missing scenes. In particular, I would have liked more interaction between Eddie and Venom, so we could see what made Venom change his intentions. He tells us Eddie is the reason. But why? I also think that, with a character such as Venom, they should have gone a little darker. The success of Deadpool proved that a film with an R rating could still be a smash hit, and I do think Venom would have benefited from a darker approach, better effects, and deeper character work. It wasn't a bad movie, and I don't think it deserves all the negative comments that have been thrown at it; nonetheless, I can't help but think that it's a good film that missed out on being great due to some poor decisions.