SLOW-MOTION SONAR FOR A FEEBLE FLIGHT! Marvel’s Morbius is a mediocre movie.

On the nefarious battlefields of the comic crusades, I would probably have to side with the DC universe, but only because I’m somewhat of a traditionalist. As a youngster though, I read both Dc and Marvel and when I learnt that Morbius (2022) would be developed into a feature film, I was a teeny-weeny bit squealy (with excitable glee). I love a dark, moody comic! I love an anti-hero! And, as EVERYONE knows, I love vampires! So, for me, this had to be the holy trinity; the trifecta of perfection. Alas though, I was sadly mistaken. 

Let’s begin in the beginning. 

The plot: 10-year-old Michael Morbius has a rare blood disorder that imminently is going to kill him. His physician and surrogate father, Dr Nicholas, arranges for the gifted Michael to attend medical school in New York. Michael’s best friend Milo who is also ill with the same disorder is left in the care of Dr Nicholas. 25 years later and Dr Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) captures masses of vampire bats from Costa Rica. He tells Milo (Matt Smith) of his plans to create a cure using the genes of the bats and Milo funds the experiment which is conducted on a ship in international waters, with the help of his colleague Dr Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona). The experiment is successful and Morbius cures himself of the disorder. The only problem is that his cure comes at a price; he himself has become a living vampire. After the ship’s crew ascend on him, he kills and drains them, then flees to New York. When Milo discovers the truth, he insists that Michael “cures” him too. Michael refuses on the grounds that it would be dangerous and immoral and of course, Milo takes matters into his own hands. Havoc ensues. 

Visually, this movie is quite decent but unfortunately, it just lacks substance, which really is a shame because it possesses most of the components to become a really fantastic experience. It didn’t feel like a Marvel movie. For a film that had been in the works for such a lengthy period of time and then had such a build-up prior to its extremely delayed release, it was quite the disappointment. It seemed to build a little only to go nowhere in particular. But this is an origin story and it does indeed cover that genesis fairly comprehensively. 

Although the narrative is conceivably shadowy, there is a very apparent absence of fun in this film. Jared Leto is efficient, meaning that he does what he can within his capabilities. The character is sombre for the most part, as he is meant to be I’m aware but, he really does not venture far from that capacity which makes him rather one-dimensional. It isn’t until the last stages of the movie that Morbius the character starts to become ‘interesting’. 

Matt Smith is definitely a standout. He is charismatic and flamboyant and provides the much-needed contrast to Leto’s bleak persona. The only issue is that their jousting relies profoundly on special effects and it feels a little deficient, much like their iron levels would be. Those moments just don’t quite carry the film over the finish line. I wanted a lot more of Milo and a lot less of Michael, which isn’t ideal in a film that has an anti-hero as the protagonist you are meant to be rooting for. For a film marketed as a horror, it’s extremely light on the scares. It’s also not particularly connected to the Marvel universe and any hardcore Marvel fans should expect more than a few disenchantments with regard to this. Martine’s character is not utilised well and her scenes often seem ineffectual until the very end [SPOILER ALERT]. [Not really a spoiler alert though!] 

Martine waking up at the final point of the film is actually quite a nice moment and obviously is the launchpad for the next instalment in what is to be expected to expand the Spider-Man universe. I would have liked to have seen her character develop a bit more for that reason, but also to give her a little more depth and likeability. 

The story felt really rushed through the second half of the movie, perhaps to get to the ‘tidbits’ in the final credits. Overall, Morbius is an underwhelming endurance. There are some really promising aspects, but it just can’t seem to cut it.