A Sony/Marvel Ode to Vampires That Doesn't Sink It's Teeth Well Enough. (Morbius)

The Sonyverse of Marvel characters is still alive and kicking especially after the success of Venom Let There Be Carnage, and Spider-Man No Way Home. Sony introduces a new 'Marvel Legend' that has never been adapted on the big screen. Set in the Venomverse, Morbius is yet another inclusion to Marvel's experimentation with the themes of classic horror. Morbius's attempt to revitalize the vampire scene after years of being ridiculed might succeed as it takes baby steps needed to get there. 

Morbius centers around Dr. Michael Morbius, who has a rare blood disease that is in the midst of killing him. In an attempt to find a cure for himself and his best friend, Milo, he experiments on vampire bats and ends up getting cured not in the way he thought. He claims super strength, a sense of echolocation, and craves human blood. Originally known as a villain to Spider-Man, the film introduces that character's mannerisms way before he meets the web-slinger. 

Morbius is the kind of vampire movie you'd enjoy in the 90s or early 2000s. Sony's side of Marvel productions seems to keep going back to that particular aesthetic, an era of stories that may have been considered 'movie culture' at that particular time but with today's budget and advancement. Revisiting Marvel's styles and choices, -- or in this case, any horror or supernatural film from that era -- may bring about nostalgia but there's something about movies today that shouldn't revisit elements that films have improved on over the years.

Despite that, Morbius was secretly enjoyable. It may not have plenty of easter eggs or superhero references as it really stands on its own, tackling familiar vampire tropes. Whether a problem or not, the film does not introduce anything new to the vampire lore but is there anything else we do not know about being a bloodthirsty creature of the night? It really pays homage to sleek, sexy undercuts that stereotyped vampires. With that, Morbius really is a reminder that vampires are examples of superhumans as well. It only feels right to see Morbius learning about his powers in a montage most commonly seen in a superhero-like movie. 

This is Jared Leto's first role, that I have seen thus far, that resembles his actual personality more so than his other method-induced portrayals. He does the character justice by portraying his motivations, allowing to root for his arc but his talent sadly felt unappreciated considering the script's choppy quality. The best part is, of course, seeing him ala-vampire, transforming into the monster we all want him to look like. From the CGI cheekbones and fangs to his pale claws, the film does manage to nail a scary look for the character. 

But the real star of the film is (SPOILER ALERT!) Matt Smith. This may come as a surprise considering how little of him we see in the trailer but this marketing choice does pay off with how much his character's arc in actuality, carries the weight and happens to be the main catalyst for the progression of the plot. Milo just happens to be the best thing about this film, saving it from being a total mess. And like all vampire movies, Milo's inclusion pays tribute to the sexy parts of the genre because goddamn does he look good in this role.

Adria Arjona may get sidelined as the love interest for Morbius but her role in the film definitely gave the film some heart that didn't involve the chemistry between Milo and Morbius. Her involvement may seem cliche and predictable but what can you expect from a movie trying to remind us of how Marvel or vampire films looked back then. Jared Harris is also a nice addition to such a strong cast as the father figure to both Morbius and Milo but like all, father figures, he has to pick the favorite son. Unlike Leto, his talent is wasted on such a small character arc that almost seems fitting. 

Tyrese Gibson and Al Madrigal's involvement, however, is honestly and deeply useless. The writers may have wanted to include some kind of investigative duo subplot that could provide some comic relief to everything taking itself too seriously. Unfortunately, they failed because none of the one-liners they presented were even remotely funny. They could have stuck with at least one detective who was just as serious as the rest of the movie and left him probably asking himself a lot more questions than we have as to what's happening in the Sonyverse.  

Amongst the many flaws, there's a lot to love. From the vampire brawls to the weirdly pleasing CGI, Morbius brought about a great vampire flick that just happens to fall flat here and there. Don't even get me started on the credit scenes but the intentions for them might excite and confuse audiences. Other than that, all I can say is that you should really check it out if you want an opinion that doesn't stem from what is being said on the internet or in reviews. It may not be worth multiple viewings but I would really like to see Morbius return in a sequel that makes the character more memorable or even a crossover-like setting that will be bound to please everyone.