Kraven the Hunter Reviews Skewer “Death Knell for Sony’s Spider-Man Spinoffs”

As a lifelong comic book enthusiast and movie buff who has seen more superhero films than I care to admit, I must say that the latest addition to the Marvel universe, “Kraven the Hunter,” is an absolute rollercoaster ride of a film. It’s like someone took every trope from the genre, tossed them into a blender, and served up a delightfully chaotic mess.

Critics are sharpening their criticisms towards “Kraven the Hunter”. The R-rated Sony’s Spider-Man Universe film, set to hit theaters tomorrow, has received its reviews a day early. Given that it follows two other SSU movies this year – “Madame Web” and “Venom: The Last Dance”, it seems that critics are not enthusiastic about watching another SSU movie so soon.

In a disappointing turn of events for Sony and its Spider-Man universe, the latest addition, “Kraven,” has been met with largely negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it debuted with a mere 15% approval rating, making it the sixth consecutive film in the franchise to be labeled as “rotten” on this review aggregator site. Metascore currently stands at 33%, based on 24 reviews, suggesting a generally unfavorable critical reception.

Kraven the Hunter Reviews Skewer “Death Knell for Sony’s Spider-Man Spinoffs”

The criticism includes complaints of “cringe-worthy” dialogue and “embarrassingly poor performances” from the cast, which includes Oscar winners Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) and Russell Crowe (Gladiator). The script, by Punisher: War Zone and Uncharted scribes Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, drew unfavorable comparisons to the other SSU installments from producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach, namely that it’s “scattered” and “crowded” with characters like Calypso (DeBose), the Chameleon (Fred Hechinger), and fellow Spider-Man villain the Rhino (Alessandro Nivola). The latter, who last appeared as a machine monstrosity in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, suffers from poor VFX, per the reviews rounded up below.

The Hollywood Reporter states: “There are faint suggestions of a campy, enjoyable film that’s hard to resist, but these moments are brief in a blood-soaked action thriller. Despite the impressive physicality and knife skills displayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the lead character, his stiff portrayal fails to bring enjoyment. The movie is overly lengthy and filled with underwhelming kills of villains one after another, making it seem destined for a quick demise, much like other Sony Spider-Man Universe films such as Morbius and Madame Web.

Kraven the Hunter” is likely the final nail in the coffin for Sony’s standalone Spider-Man films. It’s confusing, from its conception to its production, but it’s not enjoyable to watch. In fact, it could be the lightest Hollywood studio film of 2024, both literally and emotionally. Developed around another Spider-Man arch-nemesis, it aligns with “Madame Web,” “Morbius,” and the “Venom” trilogy as part of Sony’s peculiar endeavor to create a Spidey series or universe without Peter Parker. Separating a delicious comic book villain like Kraven, a big-game hunter who lives to kill Spider-Man, from his nemesis is quite challenging, and this film, directed by Chandor, fails miserably at the task.

In the film “Kraven the Hunter,” Aaron Taylor-Johnson portrays Kraven, whose long hair and beard are his only notable features (and he’s quite muscular, as is often the case). He plays a somewhat restless superhero, or more accurately, supervillain, brimming with brooding anguish. To put it less delicately, he comes across as a third-tier superhero, much like Morbius or Madame Web. The action in the movie is adequate, but it seldom excites or captivates you. I’ve seen many worse comic-book movies than “Kraven,” but to describe my feelings for the film, I must admit that I didn’t stick around to see if there was a post-credits teaser.

As a movie reviewer, I’d rephrase it like this: “Though it may not match the caliber of Venom, Kraven manages to avoid being a disaster and delivers a solid dose of intense, worldwide action. Taylor-Johnson brings a strong, albeit self-assured, character to life in a film that could have stood stronger on its own two feet instead of clinging too closely to its comic book siblings.

The term ‘a movie no one asked for’ isn’t necessarily criticism, but rather a realistic evaluation of Kraven the Hunter’s primary problem: It’s centered on a less popular comic book character who may not attract audiences on his own. The lead actor is also questionable in terms of drawing viewers and seems more entertaining as a skeptical character in Nosferatu rather than his performance here, which is less captivating than his barefoot parkour through London. As a Spider-Man villain, Kraven could be an unusual fit in the established universe, but as the main focus of a film, he’s like an ornamental pillar suddenly required to support the entire structure.

In the film “Kraven the Hunter,” the special effects are so poor that they undermine the best action sequence – a chase through London’s streets and waterways. Unfortunately, this action movie doesn’t fully utilize its R rating until the climactic shootout. The CGI in the film transitions from being ‘charmingly cartoonish’ to ‘poorly executed by a studio trying to minimize losses’ at such a rapid pace that it borders on the quality of “The Scorpion King” by the end. Despite this, director Chandor still insists on using these effects heavily to convey his story’s crucial moments.

Wolverine,” “Elektra,” and “Ghost Rider.” Therefore, it’s not too surprising that “Kraven the Hunter” seems to be a relic from an era where ‘fan service’ felt obligatory rather than genuine.

Critique: “The movie struggles with cringeworthy dialogue, some atrociously bad special effects that resemble Lindt Milk Chocolate Holiday Bunnies, and disappointing performances from esteemed actors. Despite Johnson’s undeniable talent, the film and sound editors fail to rein him in, allowing for an over-the-top performance that borders on comical. The same can be said for Alessandro Nivola, who was exceptional in ‘The Art of Self-Defense’ and ‘The Many Saints of Newark’, but his portrayal of the Rhino is inconsistent, making it feel disjointed. While he’s playing a psychopathic villain, the character’s abrupt shifts are so erratic they appear nearly schizophrenic. Even Ariana DeBose seems out of place in one scene, showing no reaction when a leopard attacks Sergei, as if such incidents were routine occurrences in a courtroom.

Mashable originally reported that “Kraven the Hunter” was due to release in January 2023, but it has been postponed multiple times since then. First, to October 2023, then August 2024, and finally to December. Despite numerous delays, the film is now set for release. The delays seem to have resulted in a movie with visible flaws that almost leap off the screen. However, I might still find myself enjoying this chaotic production because it achieved something that’s becoming increasingly rare as the superhero genre becomes overly saturated – it’s surprising, wildly entertaining, and definitely not suitable for children.

“Chandor’s action scenes aren’t particularly effective – they move too fast, with overly noticeable CGI, making them seldom memorable. To add to the problem, the script by Richard Wenk and others seems both crowded and underdeveloped. For example, take The Foreigner (Christopher Abbott), a character who can freeze his enemies with a stare. One might wonder how he acquired this ability or how it functions. However, I guess we’ll never know, so let’s just enjoy the movie with some popcorn. In the future, Kraven the Hunter may become a cult classic, similar to films like Flash Gordon and Birdemic that are shown during late-night movie marathons.

The Associated Press writes: “If Crowe’s performance is so exaggerated it borders on caricature, Alessandro Nivola as the human-rhino hybrid outshines him, making Crowe seem like a seasoned actor such as Sir Laurence Olivier. There are few performances more over-the-top in a movie, unnecessarily adding a dark, humorous, and psychotic edge to an already peculiar character. The costume department has failed to impress with The Rhino’s small, string backpack that appears to be leftover from the discount section at Kohl’s. Two talented actors – Fred Hechinger as Kraven’s younger brother and Ariana DeBose as his legal ally – are stranded in a movie that spirals downward to an unsatisfying conclusion. Does Kraven embody a hero or a villain? It doesn’t matter. Without Spider-Man, what’s the purpose, right?

Featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, and Russell Crowe, the movie “Kraven the Hunter” will be hitting cinemas this coming Thursday.

2024-12-12 04:40

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