Another day, another Sony Spider-Man Universe film that misses the mark with critics. I’m sensing a pattern here. The truth is that Kraven the Hunter was doomed from the start. As promising as the teaser looked, there was no way that a movie headlined by one of Spidey’s least impressive rivals would become a box-office success.
Critics have lambasted Kraven as yet another failure for the SSU, which, as far as we know, might be on its last legs. Spider-Noir is the only thing that’s left in the dying cinematic universe, though that one takes place in a continuity of its own. It seems that Sony learned the hard way that a Spider-Man universe needs Spidey to be competitive at the box office. Who would have thunk?
Still, as disappointing as Kraven the Hunter might be, it’s still far from being the worst we’ve seen from the SSU. At least Kraven didn’t cause me physical pain in the same way Madame Web did. Let’s take a look at the few blessings stopping Kraven from being the worst film in the SSU.
4. Russell Crowe (And His Impeccable Russian Accent)
There’s just no possible way anyone could hate Russell Crowe. The man has starred in more legendary films than anyone could count, although he seems to be gravitating towards more “questionable” projects as of late.
Crowe plays Kraven’s Russian mobster father in the film, and he’s easily one of the best parts of it. Though limited, Crowe adds some much-needed character to Kraven the Hunter, although his fake Russian accent isn’t going to win him any Academy Awards, that’s for sure.
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3. R-Rated Goodness
One thing every Marvel fan hated about the Venom movies is how they’re all rated PG-13. For a villain like Venom, you’d want to give him an R-rated slasher flick where he can go crazy. Alas, we’re stuck with the usual MCU levels of violence and family-friendly banter.
Kraven the Hunter, on the other hand, earned its R rating. From intense kills to loads of profanity, Kraven almost feels like it isn’t a Marvel movie at all. There’s no way a character like him could ever share the screen with Tom Holland. It would be like having Deadpool in a PG-13 flick – something not even Disney dared to do.
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2. Glorious Action Sequences
The pacing might be all over the place, and the plot might as well not exist, but Kraven the Hunter delivers with its action sequences. In fact, the entire movie feels as if director J. C. Chandor just stitched together a bunch of action sequences and called it a day.
It’s clear the movie’s storyline suffered after the constant reshoots. Some dialogues barely make any sense, and most character motivations feel underdeveloped. Still, you can’t tell me seeing Kraven sending Rhino under a stampede wasn’t the coolest thing you’ve seen in the entire SSU.
1. Aaron Taylor-Johnson
If some people still doubted Johnson’s acting chops in action roles, Kraven the Hunter makes it abundantly clear that he’s not afraid of injecting some raw physicality in his roles.
Johnson lives up to the task in every scene. Sure, CGI can make anyone look great, but it’s clear he was devoted to the role. From his rigorous training regime to his appreciation for Kraven as a character, Johnson, like Tom Hardy before him, took a movie that could have been forgettable and turned it into a superpowered spectacle. And yes, it’s leagues better than Morbius.
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Tell us, did you enjoy Kraven the Hunter?
