Film review: ‘KRAVEN THE HUNTER’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’
Kraven the Hunter, who originally appeared on Marvel Comics pages in 1964 as a nemesis for Spiderman is one of the lesser-known Marvel characters, at least for this reviewer. Whether or not he deserved a feature length film was probably debatable before the movie and having seen Kraven The Hunter, that doubt has only grown. This lunkheaded action adventure follows a predictable plotline of origin story and battle with outrageous sneering villains but its misfiring attempt to go darker – both visually and tonally – leaves it veering perilously close to Morbius territory.
A flashback to 16 years ago reveals that Sergei Kravinoff (played as a teenager by Levi Miller) the son of wealthy and ruthless Russian gangster Nikolai (Russell Crowe) was almost killed by a lion while on one of his dad’s hunting trips. He was saved, however, by a mysterious young woman Calypso (Ariana Debose) who gave him a magical potion. The strange elixir also imbued Sergei with the strength and skills of the most powerful animals making him a kind of cross between Tarzan and Dr Doolittle. As an adult, Sergei or Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) now uses his talents to brutally exterminate vile crims and poachers. When one of Nikolai’s rivals Aleksei (Alessandro Nivola) – who also has manufactured superpowers – kidnaps Sergei’s brother Dimitri (Fred Hechinger) Kraven must draw upon all his beastie skills to save him.
This film is part of the Sony Spiderman Universe not the MCU. The Sony Spiderverse has done well when the beloved webslinger was front and centre but he doesn’t get a gig here and this film sorely needed his endearing goofball energy.
While there’s a touch of sci fi and international crime drama, this film is really just an excuse for some violent action scenes. The killings are more visceral and bloody than we normally see in a superhero film with crossbow bolts to the noggin and some nose chomping. The action sequences are reasonably fluid and occasionally bone crunching but some of the CGI, particular of larger animals, is very dodgy – couldn’t they have just filmed actual water buffalo.
Between the action scenes, the film attempts some sort of plot and character development which does not go well. Aaron Taylor Johnson has impressed in many previous roles and certainly looks the part as Kraven, having clearly spent some serious time in the gym. Unfortunately, here he struts around in a leather muscle top delivering the film’s leaden dialogue in a monotone voice rendering him as charisma-free as Paul Mescal in the disappointing Gladiator 2.
Fortunately, Russell Crowe is on hand to give the film more intentional dramatic heft and with his outrageous Boris Badenov accent, unintentional comedic value. Crowe steals most of the scenes in which he appears. Ariana Debose also impresses as the clever, multi-talented Calypso. Allesandro Nivola, fresh from appearing in one of the year’s most lauded films, The Brutalist, chews the scenery as the main villain, The Rhino, who can turn into a two-legged version of the powerful horned creature but doesn’t leave us with a memorable Marvel villain.
Unlike the technicolour extravaganza of most Marvel films, this one, which takes place in London, Türkiye and Africa, looks quite dour. Had this been a more dramatically convincing film, this visual style would have fitted the darker tone but here it just makes the film look drab.
Kraven the Hunter is by no means the worst of the Marvel-related offerings but apart from more gruesome killings it gives us nothing we haven’t seen done better in countless other superhero flicks.
Nick’s rating: **
Genre: Drama/ Action/ Adventure/Superhero.
Classification: MA15+.
Director(s): J. C. Chandor.
Release date: 12th Dec 2024.
Running time: 127 mins.
Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm on 88.3 Southern FM.
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