Ever since Spider-Man: No Way Home swung into cinemas, there's been an ever rising level of anticipation for Morbius. Another film with such a long delay due to the covid pandemic, Morbius comes off the back of a hugely successful Spider-Man film but with Sony in sole control of this one, it joins the Venom films as being a film that takes a classic villain of the webslinger and makes them an anti-hero instead. Unlike the Venom films however, Morbius doesn't know how to have fun with its source material, becoming a confused mess in the process.
Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder, and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) attempts a desperate gamble. What at first appears to be a radical success soon reveals itself to be a remedy potentially worse than the disease.
Morbius feels as if it has been ripped straight from the line-up of 2000s comic book movies, just not the good ones which there were plenty of mind. It doesn't waste any time in getting into things, a blessing in some way seeing how bloated some of these films have become these days, as we get flashbacks to Michael's younger days in a Greek hospital due to his condition. Joined by a friend in Milo, who suffers the same disease, it's about as predictable as they come from there on in unfortunately.
Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless play it safe with a formulaic origin story that neither thrills or spills, a major shame for a character like Morbius' live action debut. Take the first appearance of the vampiric Morbius himself, one that should be built up to with some sort of reveal but it just happens without any fanfare, the growl he gives pitiful instead of terrifying. It all just feels as if Sony are in a rush to get somewhere with these films and not invested in actually telling decent stories.
Daniel Espinosa, who directed a Venom-like horror with Life, finds it hard to stamp any kind of vision on the film. He isn't helped by the lack of flow the film has, feeling much longer than it actually is and faltering when it just seems to be getting going. Some of the visuals are actually rather striking, the visual effects and Oliver Wood's cinematography combining a number of times to remind us this is a modern day comic book movie and not stuck in the past.
Coming to the performances, Morbius has someone who seems dedicated to his craft in the titular role, not that it always comes with spectacular results. Jared Leto is someone you'd look at and think a vampire is the perfect role for him to play and while he delivers an okay performance, there's just a lot missing to make it truly compelling. Fresh from his Razzies win for House of Gucci, don't be surprised to see him nominated again, somehwhat harshly, next year. Matt Smith is just about the only other person who gets something to do and at least he lets loose to have a good time and ham it up, it just feels like it belongs in another film entirely. Adria Arjona, Jared Harris and Tyrese Gibson get brushed aside in order to skip through proceedings and don't even get me started on Michael Keaton's appearance in the film, reshoots taking place since the release of No Way Home.
Culminating with two scenes amidst the end credits that just make Sony look like they haven't got a clue what they're doing, Morbius is a disappointing entry into the Sony Spider-Man Universe. Maybe making all these villain origin films without Spider-Man present isn't the best idea after all.
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