The new super hero film Morbius is the latest installment in SONY’s continued efforts to create a cinematic universe based around the characters from the ever popular Spider-Man character from Marvel.

The film stars Jered Leto as the scientist turned undead vampire Michael Morbius as he seeks a cure for his affliction by combining his blood with the DNA of a Bat. Though this origin is very different from the origin given in the comics, some may see it as a version more in line with SONY’s Venom films.



THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS. IF YOU DON’T WISH TO BE SPOILED PLEAS SKIP AHEAD.

Michael Morbius believes that with the addition of DNA from a vampire bat his blood will be able to fill in the parts of his blood affected by his condition. With the backing from his friend Milo (played by Matt Smith), who also has the same condition, Michael is then turned into a vampiric being who kills nearly everyone in the lab.

Once he returns home and discovers his new powers Milo then steals Michael’s formula, turning himself into a vampire. Milo goes on a killing spree and Michael is blamed for the murders. Michael then goes into hiding with his girlfriend Martine Bancroft (played by Andria Toress) to try and find a way to stop Milo on his rampage.

In the end Michael is able to kill Milo and Martine is now a vampire herself. In the post credit sequences Michael Keaton’s Vulture appears as part of the after effects of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Vulture then finds Morbius and proposes that he and Morbius find a few other guys like them and “do some good”, hinting at a future Sinister Six film.

While Jered Leto is definitely better here than his portrayal of Joker in 2016’s Suicide Squad some of the dialogue can feel a bit clunky. Matt Smith, while acted well, feels like an evil Dr. Who. The romance between Michael and Martine feels rather underdeveloped and lastly the CGI effects in the film can be good in some shots but in others look really bad. The facial transformations for Michael and Milo can look pretty goofy.



Overall Rating: 5/10

While not a bad film it is definitely one you won’t be in a hurry to see a second time. It’s acting can be a mixed bag and some of the imagery and story definitely reminds me of 2014’s Dracula Untold by Universal. Not to mention the inconsistent CGI effects. It isn’t really deserving of the poor reviews RT has given it, but it’s defiantly not the high rating audiences gave it.

Though the film will most likely break even the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will definitely have some kind of impact. If you’re looking for a dark Bat-themed hero film you’re better off seeing The Batman.