‘Kraven the Hunter’ Review: Aaron Taylor-Johnson Brings the Brawn but Can’t Muscle Up the Excitement in Turgid Marvel Origin Story

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As a seasoned cinephile who’s seen more movies than I can count the grains of sand on Bondi Beach, I must admit that “Kraven the Hunter” left me feeling rather like a kangaroo in a koala preserve – out of place and somewhat underwhelmed.

In the midst of the painfully boring movie, “Kraven the Hunter”, there’s an unexpectedly humorous moment when Ariana DeBose, portraying a high-profile lawyer tied to a series of gangster murders, manages to escape a group of assassins in her London office and ends up in Siberia. With a completely serious tone, she comments, “I don’t like the vibe of this at all.” Indeed, it’s hard not to agree. This scene may not have been intended to be comical, but it still leaves you wishing that director J.C. Chandor and the writers had injected a bit more self-aware humor into this convoluted Marvel villain origin tale.

Instead, the film offers brief glimpses of a cheesy entertainment that’s fun to watch but fails to deliver sustained action or suspense in its action thriller genre. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, showcasing his muscular physique, portrays the main character with commendable physical prowess and impressive knife techniques, yet lacks the spark needed for an enjoyable performance. The film is overly lengthy and features repetitive, underwhelming deaths of various villains, suggesting it may join other Sony Spider-Man Universe productions such as Morbius and Madame Web in a premature demise.

Initially set to debut in January 2023, the movie has been postponed three times – a delay that doesn’t seem to have been utilized to improve its subpar computer-generated effects. Now, it’s aiming for some positive momentum as counterprogramming during the holiday season.

Fanatics can be hard to figure out, but even with obligatory references to Marvel’s history and the presence of Spider-Man adversaries like Rhino, the Foreigner, and the Chameleon, these characters lack appeal without the web-slinger. The transformation of DeBose’s character, Calypso, from a voodoo priestess who torments Spiderman with a zombie slave trade in the comics to a sharp-witted lawyer in the movie is a clear sign that the writers, Richard Wenk, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway fail to bring much life to the material.

As a gamer, when I take off my Spider-Man-loving glasses, it’s a bit hazy defining Kraven as the antihero he’s intended to be. In a chilly, snowbound prison, Sony unveiled him (through an eight-minute online trailer released earlier this month) with a busload of fresh inmates. The melodious strains of Basil Poledouris’ “Hymn to Red October,” from some old submarine movie featuring Sean Connery, echoed as we arrived.

In the heat of the gaming world, I swiftly prove my mettle to the rough-and-tumble thugs, establishing my dominance without a moment’s hesitation. This act catches the attention of Seymon Chorney, the formidable crime lord, who summons me to his office. With a saber tooth from the tiger rug beneath my feet, I seize the opportunity and take him down. My daring escape unfolds in a whirlwind of wall-climbing, rooftop-leaping, and high-altitude jumps – not just a display of human strength, but an uncanny agility that echoes the grace of wild beasts.

The story unfolds to reveal the origin of their physical prowess, taking us back 16 years when Kraven, then known as Sergei Kravinoff, and his half-brother Dmitri were forcibly removed from school in New York by their father Nikolai. (Russell Crowe portrays Nikolai.)

If you found Russell Crowe’s humorous accent in “The Pope’s Exorcist” entertaining, he delivers another great performance here as the ruthless Russian drug lord who coldly tells his sons that their mother is deceased. “She took her own life. She was frail.” (He’s not fond of using pronouns or articles.)

Instead of holding a church funeral due to Nikolai’s choice, he decides to take the boys on a big game hunting trip in Northern Ghana instead, reasoning that it’s time for them to grow up and be men. They engage in plenty of manly talk about Sergei and Dmitri being weak, but Nikolai aims to change that by hunting down an elusive lion that has evaded hunters for decades. “He who kills a legend becomes a legend,” he says, at least getting one phrase correct. However, things do not go as planned during this encounter, leaving Sergei severely injured and close to death.

In Ghana too, there’s a young woman skilled in Calypso music, consulting tarot cards with her mystical grandmother who provides her with an extraordinary elixir – a universal remedy that imbues her with unique abilities. Coincidentally, it’s Sergei who finds himself the beneficiary of this potion. After being declared deceased, he miraculously revives with radiant amber eyes resembling those of a lion and heightened senses due to an additional few drops of lion blood in the elixir.

Apart from the intricate introduction, we’re also presented with Russian mercenary Aleksei Sytsevich, portrayed by Alessandro Nivola who seems to relish his part but deserves more. He tries to form an alliance with Nikolai, only to be turned down, perhaps due to the fact that he resembles Javier Bardem’s character from “No Country for Old Men” in terms of his hairdo. Later, he returns with a improved hairstyle and an eerie talent for metamorphosis whenever he disconnects a tube drawing fluids from a compact backpack. I hope you manage to decipher the mysterious mechanism behind this.

Eventually, Aleksei admits that he voluntarily participated in genetic research led by a New York professor named Miles Warren, who could be recognized as the Jackal by Marvel enthusiasts. Considering the slight discomfort, the significant enhancement of strength tenfold seems worthwhile. The scientist is not visible in this movie, but it’s likely that he has at least one more test subject eager for a genetic transformation. A hint: Dmitri, later portrayed by Fred Hechinger, performs Black Sabbath’s “Changes” at his upscale London piano bar.

Currently, Kraven finds himself hunting a group of nefarious individuals, with Chorney being one of them. He seeks out Calypso’s assistance in locating these villains. Simultaneously, Kraven grapples with his feelings of guilt for leaving Dmitri under the strict control of their father when he chose to escape rather than assume the family’s criminal enterprise. Dmitri, who possesses a remarkable talent for imitation, yearns for his father’s acceptance but seems unlikely to achieve it by running a piano bar, despite Nikolai taking delight in his renditions of Tony Bennett. (I assure you, this is not fabricated.)

In the thrilling trailer unveil, I, Aleksei, find myself transformed into the menacing Rhino, scheming to seize Nikolai’s empire and silence Kraven. Embracing the relentless nature of my namesake, I declare, “When a rhino spots its chance, it charges headlong and claims it.” That chance materializes in the form of Dmitri, whose abduction serves as an irresistible bait. To complicate matters further, I recruit Ömer Aksoy, a formidable enforcer from Turkey (portrayed by Murat Seven), and a secretive assassin, simply referred to as The Foreigner (Christopher Abbott, underutilized), who possesses an uncanny ability to disappear for brief moments, a power that remains unexplained in our intricate plot.

As a devoted admirer, let me express how Kraven’s abilities make him a character that straddles the line between superhero and ordinary man. He possesses the swiftness of a cheetah, the might of a lion, and the elegance of a cat, which allows him to scale buildings, pursue a helicopter mid-air while hanging from a rope ladder, and forcefully enter an armored vehicle at high speed by tearing off a door. His connection with the animal kingdom is so profound that he can even control a charging buffalo herd. Taylor-Johnson often performs his own stunts, but in today’s world, if you don’t, it gives the impression of being lethargic. This trend can be attributed to Tom Cruise and his relentless pursuit of action perfection.

As a devoted fan, I’ve journeyed from the bustling streets of London, to a tranquil monastery near Ankara, and deep into Kraven’s hidden lair in the Siberian taiga. However, unlike the anticipation I felt as a camper honing my archery skills during summer, this narrative fails to gather the pace I was hoping for. The plot seems to lack coherent structure, making it hard for me to feel fully engaged.

In a more simplified and conversational style:

Typically, this dull and slow-paced film appears to serve as a foundation for potential sequels where actors like DeBose and Hechinger could have more substantial roles, and the character of Kraven might develop a clearer motive for his vigilantism. Additionally, with his new Viking-style fur-trimmed coat, there’s speculation that Kraven may become a more definitive villain in future installments. However, these are all possibilities in a film that doesn’t necessarily imply the need for additional episodes.

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2024-12-11 23:26