Venom is one of my favorite super-villains because I love how simple his character is. A righteous reporter corrupted by an alien with only the motive of eating whatever is in sight out of pure instinct. Despite my love for the big alien-man, the new “Venom” movie is an embarrassment to the character and greatly disappointing for a fan like myself.

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a hard-balling reporter with his own show where he takes down the biggest and baddest guys in San Francisco. The current baddest guy Brock is hunting when we meet him is Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) of the Life Foundation, a pharmaceutical company that allegedly tests drugs on “the most vulnerable people.” In short, Brock’s boss says “Don’t go after Drake,” Brock goes after Drake and gets fired.

While this is happening, a rocket launched by the Life Foundation crash lands in Singapore with a load of symbiotes. One named Riot (voiced by Riz Ahmed) gets on a plane to America. Cut to six months later, Brock is a jobless junky who gets tipped off by a scientist working at the Life Foundation. And 40 minutes into the movie, the plot finally starts moving. Brock manages to break into the Life Foundation where he meets Venom (voiced by Tom Hardy). After that point, “Venom” becomes a sad excuse for an action movie.

Action sequences are an absolute drag. Whether focused away from the action or completely shrouded in smoke, they do not deliver the one-sided massacre, or a decent fight in general, that viewers want to see in a Venom-single. The most fun action scene is in Brock’s apartment when he first discovers that Venom is even inside him. Several mercenaries hired by the Life Foundation invade his home and are instantly stabbed or tossed by shiny black tendrils extending from Brock’s body, courtesy of Venom. The scene is entertaining because Brock has no clue what is happening or why. But the scene is also shot with wide angles and longer shots that give the viewer a clear perspective as to what exactly is happening.

Despite the poor performance, Venom was an extreme financial success in the box office, hitting $80 million just on its opening weekend. It was released on October 5th. Director Ruben Fleisch, best known for “Zombieland,” seems like the perfect fit for a savage villain like Venom because of his appropriate love for gore. Because the movie was only rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action (notice the lack of gore), Fleisch was essentially directing the movie with one hand tied behind his back.

Despite “Venom” being an absolute flop, I still found some enjoyment near the beginning when Venom had not yet bonded with Brock because it was just a man looking for a way to survive. But any pity for Brock was smashed as soon as he gained his god-like symbiote powers. Overall, this superhero flick is not worth the time or money unless you’re a diehard Venom fan.