Morbius Review: A Fun, Cheesy Horror Film Disguised As A Marvel Superhero Movie

For the longest time, the character of Morbius the Living Vampire has remained something of a forgotten oddity in the world of Marvel comics. He’s mostly known for being a Spider-Man villain. He’s occasionally given a limited-series to flesh out his origin story but that’s about it. Since 2020 though, Marvel’s orginal vampire has gotten a ton of spotlight. Sony’s “Morbius” proved to be a cinematic enigma. Since the teaser, fans have been speculating about the film’s connections to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Tom Hardy’s Venom. Needless to say, the film’s marketing certainly leans heavily on the ambiguity of Morbius’ relationship to the wider Marvel community.

All the insane theories and intertextual novelty aside, it’s time to answer one very important question: Does “Morbius” deliver the goods? Can the character stand on his own two feet without having to rely on his connections to other big-name heroes? Let night fall and let’s find out!

The plot of “Morbius” follows the tried-and-true origin story template. Doctor Michael Morbius is a brilliant medical prodigy who specialises in hematology. For the longest time, he and his childhood friend, Milo have been plagued by a rare, incurable blood disease. All that changes when Michael breaks all the rules to find a cure from nature’s very own bloodsuckers, bats. He soon finds himself at war with his darker desire for blood and his former friend turned adversary.

For those acquainted with characters like the Hulk and the Fantastic Four, “Morbius” offers a familiar, if not cliche, narrative structure. Completed with even the obligatory love interest. Being aware of its cookie-cutter premise, director Daniel Espinosa thoroughly dispenses with much of the human drama of Morbius’ past. The film seems to be all too aware of its predictability and so does its level best to speed right on to the vampiric carnage.

What’s refreshing about “Morbius” is its dedication to its creature feature horror roots. It doesn’t try to be a carbon copy of “Venom” with Morbius turning into a vigilante superhero. Most of the plot is dedicated to Morbius learning to cope with the horrible disease of vampirism while his friend, Milo tears his way across the city. Now, some folks will definitely find his scenes involving various experiments perhaps a tad slow or boring. For us, it offered us much needed character development and remained interesting due to its focus on Morbius’ vampiric nature. It inevitably does lead to the big mirror match showdown that pits our Morbius against Milo.

In spite of the film’s grim subject matter and its protagonist’s tragic origins, the writing in the film is surprisingly snappy and fun. Really, we came in expecting lots of dour brooding and stoic monologues about the beast within. The film does have its fair share of melodrama but it’s often undercut by a lot of loose bits of levity and even some pretty fun horror elements. There’s a hilarious and slightly terrifying scene involving Matt Smith’s Milo feeling himself before hitting the town. It certainly helps that the key cast members look like they’re having a good time.

One minor gripe we have with the film would be its shoehorned romantic sub-plot between Morbius and his fellow doctor, Martine Bancroft. It doesn’t exactly grind the plot to a screeching halt, it’s just not very meaningful or well-developed. The film tries to make her Morbius’ moral voice and motivation but it all feels rather cynical and half-hearted. Also, there are some annoying contrivances in the way certain events are set up. The way Tyrese Gibson’s FBI Agent Simon Stroud jumps to the conclusion of artificial vampires is almost as insanse as the way Leto’s Morbius leaps from building to building. No resistance whatsoever!

Its shortcomings aside, Jared Leto proves that he is capable of carrying the lead role in a comic book film. Redeeming himself from the David Ayer’s disastrous rendition of the Joker, Leto manages to injects a ton of heart and charm into his character. Sure his driving motivation and backstory isn’t the most original but you’ll still find yourself rooting for our main guy.

His performance, though, is eclipsed by Matt Smith’s Milo. My goodness, the man really dug his role as the sadistic and playful rival to Morbius. Even if the writing for the character isn’t exactly complex, a great thespian can still elevate the material. Is there a bit of scenery-chewing on set? Yeah sure…but this is a film about mad scientists and flying vampires. We’d be disappointed if there wasn’t any.

Adria Arjona’s supporting role as the compassionate and feisty Martine Bancroft is likable if not forgettable. The issue is she doesn’t do much other than play the helper and damsel-in-distress role throughout the film. Something tells us though that she’ll have a much larger role in the film to come. Jared Harris does a great job as Nicholas Morbius, Michael’s adoptive father and guardian. Much like Arjona’s Bancroft, he too suffers from rigid archetypal writing that limits his potential.

The visual effects in “Morbius” is a mixed bag. On one hand, the transformation between Milo and Morbius’ human and vampiric forms are extremely well done. With no cutaways or trick of light, we get to witness the slow, creeping transformation of our monstrous duo. When their facial ticks line up with the CGI-fuelled growls and snarls, it is pure movie magic! The action set-pieces are heavily reliant on Snyderish slow-motion effects which wears thin after the third time. There are some intense scenes that utilise lighting but they’re mostly employed for the horror segments of the film. It would have been cool if Espinosa’s eye for horror made into some of the battle scenes though.

In spite of the film’s best efforts to present itself as yet another soulless block to Sony and Disney’s comic-book media empires, “Morbius” proves to be a jagged, odd piece to the ever-expanding puzzle of movie studio machinations. That’s a good thing by the way. With clarity and style, director Daniel Espinosa delivers a goofy, off-kilter horror action film that is just what we need to disrupt the endless tide of vanilla comic-book films. It dispenses with all pretensions and delusions of self-importance to deliver an enjoyable thrill ride with Jared Leto leading the charge. It’s not perfect but it is earnest in its delivery.

You can now check out Morbius at your local theaters today and be sure to check out our breakdown of Marvel’s Original Vampire!

Also, remember stay in your seats when credits start rolling, there’s a sinister, little surprise waiting for fans!