Kraven the Hunter

I wasn't expecting much with Kraven the Hunter. The recent run of Sony Marvel films has been pretty dismal and i wasn't holding my breath.

It's unfortunate to say that Kraven follows suit. The screenplay felt like it was written by a 5 year old playing with Marvel toys. It felt fake and awkward. A poor screenplay makes everything else the film brings uneventful and lame. The skilful actors of Aaron and Russel couldn't save it.

What the film had going for it (if anything) was the look of Kraven and the action sequences. His beast like movement and sequences where he is tearing up was awesome to say the least. However, the villians are basically not worth mentioning. One dimensional.

To sum up, Kraven the Hunter doesn't provide anything new or inventive to the superhero genre. The awkward screenplay and basic villains suffocate Kraven's better moments as a character.

It's a shame that a character so loved in the Marvel universe gets such poor treatment.

Gotta be one of the best R rated movie with Marvel characters! It will be bashed and badly criticized by marvel fanboys because the movie lacks the cringe corny cheesy cheap jokes every 5 minutes you will see in every comedic marvel garbage!

Aaron Taylor did a great job as Kraven! His russian accent, his russian language is on point, he is brutal and strong! He have a good chemistry with Calypso. And oh boy, the Rhino is a beast but kinda weak designed!! The special effects are very decent, the action scenes are well choreographed and bloody!! It's miles better than these two atrocious ones: Madam Web or Morbius and waaaaay better than the PG Venom movies!!!

Sony's Spider-Man Universe doesn't go with a bang, but a whimper. "Kraven the Hunter" is clichéd at all turns. ATJ tries to make the most of it, yet the script holds it back. Action is a bit fun at times, but it's muddled with much pompous exposition.

The movie is kinda fun when Johnson is in action causing bloody chaos but everything else is a drag. Great cast held back by clunky dull dialogue. The script is simply bad and a waste of Aaron Taylor Johnson, who I actually enjoyed in the role. Another instance of a villain turned hero. A story that lacks any intrigue. Rhino and Chameleon are wasted as I expected.

"'Kraven the Hunter" was probably a solid 2004's action movie at one point, but the usual Sony antics are all here. Painful ADR, choppy editing, and tons of lifeless CGI animals!

Dare to say, this is one of the most soulless modern comicbook movies. It is exactly the film you'd expect at this point. The film doesn't understand a single character it tries to adapt to screen and the whole movie often feels created by AI.

It is better than "Madame Web" and "Venom: The Last Dance" which isn't saying much, but if this is the end of the Sony Spider-Man-less universe, at least I'm glad it's over.

It's far from a disaster. While the dialogue occasionally veers into awkward territory, and not the greatest CGI, the film delivers well-executed action sequences that keep the momentum going. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is particularly impressive, showcasing both physical prowess and screen presence, further cementing his status as a compelling action star.

The second half does feel a bit rushed, but at just 120 minutes, the filmmakers seems to just want to quickly wrap things up. That said, this story might have worked even better as a mini-series, giving more time to flesh out characters like Dimitri and Calypso. A longer look at Sergei's transformation into Kraven during his isolation in Far Eastern Russia could've added more depth and made his journey feel even more impactful.

It's a very decent movie for a Saturday night with your brain in park. Just don't take it so seriously. Definitely worth a watch just because of Aaron Taylor-Johnson's wild action sequences. No pun intended.

Six stars is probably generous. This movie is NOT good. In many aspects, it's actively bad (see below). But I was still able to enjoy this in a dumb-fun kind of way. Here are a few factors that helped.

First, I am a big Spider-Man fan and remember liking the Kraven character from the 90's animated series. I also regularly find entertainment from stupid, lower quality movies. And I've enjoyed many of the other Sony-Marvel side universe movies.

There are also some cool actions scenes. I'm ecstatic they went for an R rating instead of being cowards (looking at you, Morbius). But by far the best part of this movie is Aaron Taylor-Johnson. His acting talent is on full display and he elevates every scene he's in.

Okay now the bad. This movie is all over the place, unfocused and pretty dumb. There are multiple moments of unintentional humor, including one of the funniest character reactions I've ever seen. The dialogue and line delivery is bad. The CGI is bad. It's a generally poorly-made movie.

But by far the worst part is the performance by Ariana DeBose. I really don't like being mean, but this is third thing I've seen her in (Argylle and I. S. S.), and she does NOT belong. I couldn't stop noticing how unconvincing she was. Her line delivery made me laugh. In scenes with her and Taylor-Johnson, the contrast in talent could not be more stark.

Look, you already know if this is something you would enjoy. If it looks stupid to you, don't watch it. If you aren't as picky and can still enjoy something with major flaws, you might have a good time.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday UltraScreen 12/12/2024)