Kraven the Hunter

The latest entry in the Spider-Man adjacent movies, Kraven delivers on super-hero based action, broad predictable characters and a by-the-numbers plot.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson delivers a solid performance, with an impressive amount of physicality. Russell Crowe is better than in Thor: Love and Thunder. The other cast members provide adequate performances.

Alas, the same cannot be said for Ariane DeBose (Calypso), whose delivery is so wooden that it caused open laughter in the theatre. The same is true for the woman playing her grandmother, though she at least had the excuse of having a massive exposition dump in 3 minutes of screen time.

Credit to Sony for persevering with this cinematic universe despite its lacklustre performance.

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.

I decided to ignore the bad ratings of the movie because I have loved Aaron Taylor's Johnson acting ability in every movie I've seen him in. I just came back home from the cinema and I have to say I'm very disappointed in the movie's script! The script had so many clichés, it was predictable, it lacked depth, it didn't give the actors a chance to act. It left me feeling like it was written to be easily consumed by the viewer.. I love action movies, I love super hero movies and this was arguably worse than Thor love and thunder. Other than that, I'd love to see this character in a new film (with different writers).

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.

I think Kraven achieved everything it wanted to achieve, and I'm surprised to say I don't hate it. It's a simple "turn your brain off and enjoy" kind of action movie. I came in expecting something corny and repetitive from "marvel's fantasy mafia movie"; and while there were a lot of awkward character writing and inconsistent pacing - as well as janky CGI - I was pleasantly surprised to see several attempts at deeper themes and a decent art direction. Its simplicity keeps the whole thing cohesive and easy to follow. There was no point in the movie where I was completely taken out by the story direction, or felt like there were loose ends and plot holes. It's solid, simple, and a bit boring. All in all, I give it a 7 for being a little better than mid.