‘Kraven the Hunter’ Review: Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s SSU Send-Off Is Mediocre

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As a longtime Marvel Comics enthusiast and someone who has followed the ups and downs of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU) with bated breath, I must say that “Kraven the Hunter” left me feeling like I had just watched a mediocre family drama masquerading as an action flick.

Currently, anticipation for the film “Kraven the Hunter” is so minimal that its main objective appears to surpass the quality of 2022’s “Madame Web,” which has been a low point in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU) of largely poor films. In essence, if one were to express this with a casual shrug and subdued excitement, it could be said that the mission has been more or less accomplished. However, it’s important to note that “Kraven the Hunter” does not lack its own share of cringe-worthy dialogue, plot inconsistencies, average CGI effects, and underdeveloped characters – aspects that seem to be a recurring theme rather than an accident in Sony’s half-hearted endeavor to feast on the table of superhero cinema by assembling a group of Spider-Man villains who consistently fall short of meeting expectations set by Spider-Man himself.

It’s unusual for a corporation to exhibit self-awareness, but Sony seems to recognize that despite the unexpected success of Venom, their current strategy isn’t effective and thus the entire unsuccessful Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU) culminates with Kraven the Hunter. If there’s anything Sony managed correctly in this final, soon-to-be forgotten SSU film, it’s casting Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven. Whether in a sharp suit or his preferred leather vest, Taylor-Johnson possesses the screen presence and physicality of a leading actor; when your focus wavers, you might even mistake the movie for a trial run for what he could bring to James Bond, should he ever secure that role.

Kraven Is a Villain Who Acts Like a Hero

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I found myself seamlessly slipping between an authentic American accent and a convincing Russian one while watching Taylor-Johnson on the big screen. With expertise in darts, spears, fists, and crossbows, his character leaves quite a trail of fallen victims, many in shockingly gruesome manners. Yet, what truly caught my attention was an unexpected twist: despite being a cold-blooded killer, Kraven’s intentions were always heroic. This surprising element, penned by the talented minds behind films like Equalizer and Iron Man, adds a layer of complexity to this intriguing character.

Instead of stating that Kraven’s actions are only anti-heroic due to his extreme violence:

To put it simply, when we first encounter young Sergei, he’s a victim of poor parenting. In a rather over-the-top performance, Russell Crowe portrays Nikolai, their father and Sergei’s brother Dmitri (initially played by Billy Barratt as a child, then Fred Hechinger from ‘Gladiator II’ as an adult). Nikolai, with his exaggerated scarf, heavy Russian accent, and serious demeanor, dispenses questionable parenting advice to his sons such as “shoot to kill,” “fear will consume you,” and “kill the legend to become a legend.

In a simplified manner, we can say: Nikolai values strength so highly that he blames his deceased wife for being weak and treats Dmitri, who is fragile, disdainfully. As a result, Sergei steps up to safeguard Dmitri from their harsh and overbearing father, creating a complex family dynamic that serves as the main theme of the film. However, the movie’s emotional depth is barely touched upon, with its messages being delivered in a very basic way.

A Globetrotting Story of Brotherly Love and Betrayal

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but eagerly anticipate the work of gifted director J.C. Chandor (known for masterpieces like “All is Lost” and “A Most Violent Year”). From the looks of it, we’re about to dive into something extraordinary. The story unfolds swiftly during a grand hunt in Ghana, where Nikolai takes down a lion after the compassionate young Sergei recoils. The enraged beast then launches a brutal attack on Sergei, reminiscent of “The Revenant,” until a timely intervention by a precocious 12-year-old Calypso, who offers a healing potion, saves him. A drop of lion’s blood added to his wound, in an odd twist of events, seems to have granted Sergei some extraordinary abilities, albeit with a touch of questionable CGI.

When they get back to London, Nikolai tasks Sergei with managing the family enterprise, but it’s never clear what that business entails, hinting at possible illegal activities such as drugs. Rejecting his father’s criminal empire and suspect upbringing, Sergei flees into the woods, discovering his unique abilities and targeting poachers, while Dmitri remains at home, trying to cope with Nikolai’s mistreatment on his own.

The release date of the movie was postponed on more than one occasion, and it appears that these delays, caused by the SAG-AFTRA strike, were more about procrastination than genuine necessity. There’s not much excitement surrounding this film, and its inconsistencies and illogical gaps hint at excessive editing to mask deeper flaws. However, only so much can be achieved when working on a movie that is both a run-of-the-mill family saga and a tired retelling of the gangster genre.

As a cinephile, I’d rephrase it like this: In the world of Nikolai’s criminal empire, there’s a character known as ‘The Rhino,’ played by Alessandro Nivola. He’s an unusual fellow who maintains the appearance of a middle-aged schoolboy, carrying a backpack filled with some mysterious fluid that keeps him human. However, when that connection is severed, he metamorphoses into a reptilian beast. The Rhino is on Kraven’s hit list, marked for a brutal end. To eliminate names from this list, he seeks out Calypso, now a sophisticated London lawyer, and proposes an alliance.

Decent Momentum Ruined by Unintentional Laughs

In a swanky nightclub, Dmitri, now a pianist, experiences an unexpected turn of events as he gets kidnapped. This situation stirs things up a bit, as Nikolai, unwilling to give in to the ransom demand for fear of appearing weak, leaves it to Kraven to rescue Dmitri. The ensuing storyline unfolds with Kraven dashing through London’s streets barefoot, creating an exhilarating chase sequence that momentarily propels the film into high gear. As the action progresses, it culminates in a forest showdown where Kraven, single-handedly, battles an entire horde of adversaries, among them The Foreigner – a minor Marvel antagonist portrayed by Christopher Abbott. Dressed like a Jazz Age bass player, The Foreigner is an outsider and his unique abilities include counting to three swiftly and moving around at breakneck speed.

In my view, even though there are some inadvertently humorous moments that make The Foreigner an authentic SSU film, they could have been avoided. For instance, the dialogue seems off at times, like when Calypso says, “I absolutely despise this feeling!” and Kraven’s stealth is so extraordinary he can walk past two gunmen unnoticed up a flight of stairs. These scenes remind me of the early Marvel cinema days when the choices were limited to films like Daredevil, Elektra, and Ghost Rider. Chandor, being a skilled director with a knack for action, could have given this film a boost, but when the CGI animal rampage comes in and Aleksei transforms into the Rhino, his exceptional abilities fail to overcome the demands of the genre.

A Mediocre Sendoff for the SSU

If Kraven the Hunter is indeed the last film in the Sony Superhero Universe (SSU), it could be said that they saved their finest for the finale, which is a subtle form of praise with a hint of criticism, often referred to as damning with faint praise. The reason this kind of compliment can occur is due to the increasing prominence of Taylor-Johnson in this movie, who appears more like a character under duress rather than the film’s leading star. However, his reputation will undoubtedly grow further as Sony moves past a string of subpar films and focuses on their successful Spider-Verse series and giving Marvel room to produce high-quality Spiderman movies featuring Tom Holland.

Kraven the Hunter, distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, opens nationwide on Friday, December 13.

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2024-12-11 23:01