Kraven the Hunter is supposedly the final chapter of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, and if that is the case, thank goodness.
Here’s a movie that zigzags from mediocre to absurd and interminable. At first, I was satisfied with its mediocrity, but then the film becomes so lackadaisical in its structure that any feelings of indifference get a whiplash into frustratingly ludicrous.
But let’s get into the plot as painlessly as possible. The movie stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff, a Russian who along with his half-brother (Fred Hechinger) receive news that their mother has committed suicide, but will not have a proper funeral.
Russell Crowe plays their father, Nikolai, an ambitious crime lord who is hard on the boys and decides to take them hunting in Africa. While in Africa, Sergei gets attacked by a dangerous lion, giving him unique animalistic powers. No doubt you can see where the parallels to Spidey are between the two characters.
Just like in many comic book origin movies, Sergei begins testing his new powers and eventually leaves the iron fist of his father’s rule and makes his own way in the world. He first makes waves by eliminating criminals but then finds himself in prison after killing an arms dealer.
Ariana DeBose plays Calypso, a woman who aids Sergei, who is now known as Kraven, as he tries to stay one step ahead after he escapes. They have believable chemistry and bond over his weapons collection, which no doubt comes into play. You would think that someone with animal-like powers wouldn’t need to rely on weaponry, but that’s just about the fourth or fifth thing wrong with this movie.
The villains in the movie are one-dimensional at best. Alessandro Nivola plays The Rhino, a hired gun with human/rhino hybrid abilities, and Christopher Abbott plays The Foreigner, a killer who works alongside The Rhino to take out Kraven. Neither of these characters is menacing or imposing. Instead, they’re swamped in scenes that are heavily driven by laughable CGI or wooden dialogue.
I didn’t expect Kraven the Hunter to be a great comic book movie. It starts out with a formulaic plot but introduces so many convolutions in the second half that scenes run on sloppily when they should be advancing the story.
I kept checking the time at one point to see how much had been going on, only to find out there were another 40 minutes to go. By then, I knew it was going to be a slog to finish. I was right.
The movie is a massive clunker, and the actors don’t really inhabit the material. Only Crowe gives a performance that matches the halfhearted approach. Taylor-Johnson has been in better movies with better performances, so I just consider this a very weak deviation.
From the Venom movies to Morbius to Madame Web and now, Kraven the Hunter, Sony’s plans to expand the Spider-Man Universe have produced some of the most spectacular trainwrecks of the genre in recent years. This franchise is the hunted.
Grade: C-
(Rated R for strong bloody violence and language.)
