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The Sony Spider-Man Universe got off to a rocky start with the release of ‘Venom back in 2018. Reviews for the film were mixed, as they were for its sequel ‘Venom: Let Their Be Carnage’ in 2021. ‘Morbius’ appeared destined to the same fate, especially after numerous delays in its production and release date. Following its release on April 1, critics’ reviews skewered the film, however, not all was lost.
‘Morbius’: Movie Review
Quick Summary:
In a hospital in Greece in the 1990s, 10-year-old Michael Morbius meets Lucian, a soon-to-be close friend and surrogate brother he renames Milo. Both boys share a blood illness and bond quickly as a result. Their adopted father and director of the hospital, Nicolas, encourages Michael to attend a medical school in New York while Milo stays behind. Fast forward 25 years later and Michael is a celebrated doctor who declines a Noble Prize due to his word on synthetic blood.
Morbius heads to Costa Rica to secretly captured dozens of vampire bats with the hope of splicing their genes with his own to create a cure. Morbius’ plans backfire as he’s turned into a vampire with superhuman powers in the process, resulting in his killing of several crew members of a private mercenary vessel. With the authorities on his tail and Milo looking to obtain the cure, Morbius must fight back and save his colleague Martine Bancroft.
Ending: With Spoilers
Once Milo uncovers Morbius’ plan and cure, he takes it upon himself to cure himself of the blood illness. Like Morbius, Milo is also turned into a vampire, however, his intentions are evil. After Milo kills Nicholas out of jealous rage, he uses his father’s death as a way to lure Morbius into a confrontation. Milo bites Bancroft before a vicious battle with Morbius results in the summing of hundreds of bats.
Morbius is able to use the bats to inject the anticoagulant, killing Milo as a result. Morbius finds a dying Bancroft and drinks her blood before flying off. Bancroft is soon awakened with vampire powers of her own. In a mid and post-credit scene, Adrian Toomes from “Spider-Man” is transported to a prison in Morbius’ universe. Toomes soon escapes and attempts to form a team to target Spider-Man.
‘Morbius’: Movie Thoughts
The biggest criticism is that the story is flat and uninspiring, full of messy plot holes and mediocre to bad special effects. After seeing the film, it’s safe to say these criticisms are exaggerated at best. The film is set up as a basic superhero origin story. While it doesn’t bring too much new to the table, it doesn’t come across as offensive like many claim. Beat by beat, the story moves at a solid pace, never feeling like a slog to get through. Jared Leto gives a convincing performance as Michael Morbis, and it’s one of the highlights of the movie. The effects work, while not groundbreaking, is on par with many in the genre. The vampire battles with Morbius and Milo battling through a subway station stand out in a positive way.
The $75 million budget is far less than other comic book films, so the more grounded approach could be a turn-off for some. ‘Morbius’ has a darker tone than what is expected in the lighter MCU, which goes against the grain. Sony’s Spider-Man Universe is climbing an uphill battle due to having to match what Disney puts forward with the MCU. If a comic book film dares to veer off track from the MCU formula, it will meet a barrage of hate from fans.
‘Morbius’- Rating
When thinking about ‘Morbius’ in the larger scope of superhero films, it doesn’t land anywhere near the top. That might appear like the start of a scathing review, however, that’s not the case. ‘Morbius’ is far better than its current reputation and a fun watch to boot. The current critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes is a dismal 16 percent, putting in the basement of comic book films. However, on the audience score side, ‘Morbius’ is riding high with an impressive 70 percent approval. Box Office Mojo also reports that the film is exceeding financial expectations. The film garnered an $84 million worldwide opening, with $39 million coming domestically. Though ‘Morbius’ won’t stand out among the best, it’s worth giving it a shot to form your own opinion. Rating: 3 out of 5.