REVIEWED - Morbius

Morbius carries the tagline “A new marvel legend arrives”.

I can only imagine this was because the people who paid for it saw no version of reality where this film was successful if it wasn’t selling itself as connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Directed by Daniel Espinosa, Morbius tells the first chapter in the story of Dr Michael Morbius (Jared Leto), a genius who has spent his whole life searching for the cure to a rare blood disorder that afflicts both him and his childhood friend, Milo (Matt Smith).

Michael believes he has found the answer in the DNA of vampire bats. After testing the cure on himself, he makes a full recovery from his condition, only to discover that there is something new inside of him, and it craves human blood.

I cannot in good faith recommend you see this film. It’s boring. The script is dull, the cinematography is mostly unimaginative, and the characters (bar one) are just uninteresting to watch.

It's odd, Jared Leto is nearly always the most talked about aspect of any film he’s in. To some extend Suicide Squad (2016), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), and The House of Gucci (2021), each used his performances as an aspect of their marketing (to a certain extent), yet here it feels like he just doesn’t want to be in the movie.

It’s like watching the anti-Nicholas Cage.

Instead, the film’s only saving grace is the performance delivered by Matt Smith. He seems to be the only actor genuinely enjoying himself, the only one who wants to be there. At times it feels like he’s in a different movie. I wish I had watched that one.

This feels like a throwback to the comic book films of the late 90s and early 00s when studios still didn’t know how to adapt these characters and their stories to the big screen. It’s not difficult to believe this is from the same studio that gave us 2018’s Venom.

Morbius’s marketing touted the character driven journey of a man who has spent his whole life trying to help people, only to find himself thrown into a position where he must choose between the life he’s always dreamed of, and the lives of others.

That would’ve been neat.

You could say Morbius’ bark is worse than its bite.

Rating 1.5/5 stars

Nat Dolan is an Auckland actor and movie enthusiast