In the mid-credit scene at the end of “Venom” (2018), serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson, “Zombieland”) said, “there’s gonna be carnage.”

Fast-forward to 2021 in “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” directed by Andy Serkis (“Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle”), where journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy, “Mad Max: Fury Road”) interviews Kasady for his next big story. Brock, but mostly the symbiote living inside him, Venom, uses the information they have gathered to lead the police to the bodies of Kasady’s missing victims. Brock reemerges on the journalistic scene, and Kasady is on death row. However, during a final interview for the story, an altercation causes Kasady to bite Brock and ingest his blood, and in turn, Venom’s. Kasady grows a symbiote of his own, named Carnage, and escapes prison, seeking revenge and affection.

Following his escape, Kasady tracks down an old love Francis Barrison (Naomie Harris, “Skyfall”). Barrison, also known as Shriek, has been locked up nearly her entire life due to her super-human ability to let out deafening screams.

To defeat Kasady and Barrison, Brock and Venom are once again joined by Anne Weying (Michelle Williams, “Dawson’s Creek”), ex-fiance to Brock, and her current fiance Dr. Dan Lewis (“Veep”), to help save the day.

The acting in “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is a strong point, overall. Harrelson and Harris both deliver a stellar performance of their crazed characters, and Hardy gives another spectacular showing of Brock.

The film is filled with fantastic visuals, including some larger-than-life fight scenes. Venom and Carnage both look phenomenal, and animators seemingly took no shortcuts with their designs. One of the stand-out visuals in the movie is Carnage in front of a church stained glass window, a great view for anyone who appreciates graphics and special effects.

The sound design is also a star of this film. The howls of Carnage and the screams of Shriek make the audience feel like they are in the world with them, without the hearing loss or fear of being eaten.

As in the first movie, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is filled with great banter and hilarious moments between Brock and Venom. The humor of both characters and their relationship is one of the strongest parts of the film. In addition, Venom’s solo interactions are highly entertaining and bring even more fun and life to the movie.

One of the biggest farces of “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is the under-utilization of Shriek. She is an excellent character with an intriguing backstory. And, her ear-piercing scream is a direct counter to all symbiotes, including Venom and Carnage. Despite how good of a character Shriek is, the plot did not allow her to reach her full potential; because of this, parts of the movie fell flat.

Another problem with the film is the sometimes awkward interactions between Brock, Weying and Lewis, and not just because of the messy relationship stuff. It can make the movie less immersive and hurt the overall quality, but Venom’s humor often saves these scenes.

Lastly, as with any Marvel movie, do not leave the theater until the lights come on. The mid-credit scene at the end of this film had mouths agape and cheers throughout the theater; you do not want to miss it.

Overall, despite a few flaws, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is a must-see for Marvel fans. But even if you are not a comic book movie buff, the film is still a wild, funny, visually-great ride worth seeing in the theater.

Image from Sony Pictures Entertainment via YouTube