Kraven the Hunter

Kraven the Hunter Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Russell Crowe, Fred Hechinger

Director: J.C. Chandor

What’s Good: The film’s tone doesn’t shy away from the comic-book feeling of old, an element that most modern superhero films try to avoid in favor of a more realistic feeling.

What’s Bad: The script is just nonsense, and the way they changed some of the main aspects of Kraven as a character feels like a betrayal to the character itself.

Loo Break: The start feels a bit slow, but you must go on that break before things go wild and into ridiculous territory.

Watch or Not?: This is a pass unless you are an Aaron Taylor-Johnson fan. If not, move along, as there are better films out there.

Language: English (with subtitles).

Available On: Theatrical release

Runtime: 120 Minutes.

User Rating:

Opening:

Kraven the Hunter Movie Review: Script Analysis

Kraven the Hunter is a comic book film that feels like it was done way back when Hollywood hadn’t nailed down the formula for them, the times of Blade, Daredevil, and so many other mishandled Marvel and DC properties. The result is a film with a script with the right tone, characters filled with intrigue and quirks that make them stand out from characters in a typical thriller, for example, but working inside a plot that goes from nonsense to ridiculous in equal measures.

Like many of the other Spider-Man spin-offs that Sony has been making, the film reimagines Kraven the Hunter as an antihero instead of a proper villain and gives him a sympathetic point of view as he goes on a rampage in search of vengeance. In terms of story, the premise is quite classic; it is in the plot details that the film can’t find any footing, and it has to rely on its characters to do the heavy lifting, which isn’t bad per se. Still, it stands out as something lacking in the film, making it not as cohesive as it should be.

The film moves on at a good pace, which is a positive, not because the elements of the plot move fluidly, but because the movie understands that staying too long in one place might reveal the seams in the plot and break the audience’s immersion, which could be easy to break if you think just a bit about what is happening on screen. Some of the dialogue also feels like fluff because there is nothing meaningful for the characters to say to each other.

However, the script does a good job of creating intrigue and putting the characters into dangerous situations. So, there is always some new action sequence with thrilling moments on the horizon, which makes the film entertaining to watch, at least while we are watching it. However, towards the end, everything sums up to a very forgettable movie.

Kraven the Hunter Movie Review: Star Performance

Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been going around for a while, and his talent is apparent. However, he has found it challenging to break through since his participation in the original Kick-Ass, the film that put him on the map. Since then, the actor has been doing good work and could be more prominent if he had chosen better projects, but Kraven the Hunter is not one of them; nevertheless, Aaron Taylor-Johnson stands out as a great protagonist and someone to root for.

The rest of the cast is as solid as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and they try to do their best with the material they have been provided. Russell Crowe does the best and stands out as Kraven’s father, making for a nice continuity between both generations of hunters. In contrast, Ariana DeBose, the only girl in the cast, makes for a striking figure during her action sequences. The rest of the cast has very minor roles, but their characters are well-defined, each a moment in the spotlight for good or bad.