Kraven The Hunter Review: Sony’s Spider-Man Universe Trilogy Of 2024 Duds Is Complete

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As a longtime fan of the Spider-Man Universe, I must admit that 2024 has been a rollercoaster ride for me, filled with high hopes and crushing disappointments. Having grown up reading comics featuring Kraven the Hunter, I had eagerly anticipated this film, only to find myself underwhelmed and disillusioned.

Looking back, it’s possible that 2024 might have been the year Sony’s Spider-Man Universe truly shone. Given that the Marvel Cinematic Universe only released one major film in 2023 due to Hollywood strikes, there was a unique opportunity for this franchise to take center stage over the previous year with three distinct movies. These films could have captivated audiences without the concern of becoming overwhelmed by too many comic book movies.

Kraven The Hunter

Title Date: December 13, 2024

It’s clear now that S.J. Clarkson’s Madame Web is an unmitigated failure across the board. Kelly Marcel’s Venom: The Last Dance concluded the dismal trilogy with a weak finish, and although J.C. Chandor’s Kraven The Hunter might be considered the best of the three in terms of quality, it’s still a dull and foolish movie.

As a gamer, I’d say this new Kraven The Hunter movie isn’t like playing an immersive role-playing game with a well-crafted plot, unlike the Madame Web or Venom series. It seems that the creators were trying to spice things up with an R-rating, but there’s just not enough meat on the bones here. The characters and performances lack charm, the storyline is predictable and tired, and it doesn’t add anything new to the superhero genre. It’s not offensive, but it’s also not something I’d recommend spending your time on – whether you’re a comic book aficionado or just someone looking for some mindless fun at the cinema over a winter weekend.

In essence, Kraven The Hunter isn’t merely another repetitive origin tale stretched across the screen… rather, it requires an extended 30-minute exposition flashback. As a young man, Sergei Kravinoff (Levi Miller) enjoys privileged status as his powerful father Nikolai Kravinoff’s (Russell Crowe) favorite son. However, he renounces taking over a criminal empire following an almost fatal encounter with a lion during a hunting trip and revival through a magical elixir that boosts his senses, agility, and superhuman strength.

16 years on, he’s known as Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), once called The Hunter – a legendary vigilante with a roster of criminal enemies he intends to eliminate. After executing a hit in a Russian prison, Kraven falls under the scrutiny of Aleksei Sytsevich, also known as Rhino (Alessandro Nivola), a ruthless gangster who seeks to expand his influence by eliminating Nikolai Kravinoff and capturing the protagonist’s half-brother Dmitri (Fred Hechinger).

Kraven The Hunter tries to do way too much with its story and is still extremely dull.

Kraven The Hunter is often recognized as having the most coherent narrative within Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (a title that doesn’t carry much weight), but it still struggles with complexity and unnecessary plot devices. The main character’s motivations are inconsistent, which is evident in his resentment towards his criminal father, a backstory that is only hinted at rather than shown on screen. However, the story also burdens him with guilt for leaving his brother behind, melancholy over his deceased mother, a love for conservation, a quest for more of the serum that saved and empowered him, among other things. Instead of making the character deeper or multi-dimensional, these elements create confusion and a sense of disjointedness, ultimately detracting from the film’s overall impact.

In this movie, it seems like the filmmakers tried too hard to incorporate a variety of characters from the comics, but struggled to give them meaningful roles. For instance, Ariana de Bose’s talent is underutilized in her portrayal of Calypso, as she primarily serves the purpose of saving Sergei with a magic serum and later becomes a lawyer – a development that feels unnecessary given the main character’s hunting prowess. Moreover, Dmitri seems to be an unnecessary burden on the storyline, as it is perplexing why his kidnappers don’t simply kill him when it’s evident they won’t receive a ransom from Nikolai. The frequent reminders of Dmitri’s mimicry skills are heavy-handed and foreshadow his future transformation into the villain, The Chameleon.

In a particularly noticeable instance, Christopher Abbott’s character, The Foreigner (a hired gun working for Aleksei Sytsevich), stands out. He pursues Kraven, a character with a somewhat ambiguous superpower related to hypnosis through eye contact. Abbott’s performance is undeniably compelling compared to the rest of the cast. However, the role itself lacks depth or substance.

Don’t expect anything special from Kraven The Hunter’s action and spectacle, even with the R-rating.

Regarding the artistic abilities of J.C. Chandor, whose impressive portfolio includes films like “All Is Lost” and “A Most Violent Year”, the cinematic experience offered by “Kraven The Hunter” is somewhat lacking in terms of spectacle or innovation. Within a day of watching the film, it’s challenging to recall any memorable scenes, as the production lacks visual appeal in its cinematography and fight sequences seem ordinary. The creative liberty granted by an R rating barely registers beyond occasional digital gore (with only one instance during the runtime of increased brutality, there is no significant escalation in violence), and the visual effects are underwhelming. What makes matters worse is that the animal depictions appear unrealistic and the design for Rhino is likely to face endless ridicule online. Moreover, the excessive use of CGI body doubles during superhuman actions not only looks poor but also disrupts immersion.

In simpler terms, “Kraven The Hunter,” which might potentially conclude Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, bears a resemblance to “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” from last year. It’s not an awful swan song for the franchise, as it’s generally considered better than some other entries, but it lacks the excitement that makes one truly enthusiastic about it. It’s neither a catastrophe nor a shocker, and by mid-February 2025 at the latest, it seems destined to be forgotten.

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2024-12-11 23:07