How has no one mentioned Topher Grace as Venom/Eddie Brock? Topher is smaller than Tobey, which is so against the character I could scream. The whole thing about his character was Eddie was a bully to Peter, and Venom was a bully to Spider-man. It reflected how Peter couldn't get away from problems just because he had the brawn, he still had to use his brains.
By casting someone who is basically the same size it completely ruins that tension. When they flashed back to Eddie picking on Peter in the comics/TV shows, you believed it, because Eddie was a body building jock who used dirty tricks. I mean for fuck's sake in the movie his dirtiest deed is using Adobe Photoshop to frame Spider-man. Wow, complete role reversal, much?
Topher looks like and acted more like Cletus Cassidy/Carnage and has the right body type. Again, that character was supposed to show that even the little guys can be completely dangerous and insane. Venom was less crazy and googly eyed, more of a crazed guy mad with power. Like a predator playing with his helpless prey before eating them.
So wrong, so utterly wrong. I just never felt afraid when watching him. I really hate to say it, but I think his prior image as a comedy actor worked against him. I kept expecting Foreman to light up a joint in his basement with a camera on the table pointing at him. When I first saw Venom in the television show as a kid, he was scary for several reasons. He could totally kick Peter's ass at any minute, but he toyed with him, he never got cocky and left an opening in his defense. He could also blend in and stalk Spidey, and he knew all his secrets. At any second, Venom could win, and that was the tension.
Topher just... eh. I wanted Henry Rollins, myself.
