When one thinks of Marvel Comics, a bunch of superheroes come to mind. From Captain America to Iron Man and Black Widow to Thor, we think of strong, athletic, supernatural beings who look out for and help the little guy (a.k.a. humans). However, where there are good guys, there are also bad guys...beings like Thanos, Hera, and The Sinister Six. One member of the latter group, Kraven the Hunter, gained his animalistic-like powers through an accident and some mystical magic. Stalking those he hunts, some think he is merely a myth, but Spider-Man would disagree (though some think he is also a myth). Thanks to Sony Pictures, we now get to learn more about this superhuman when Kraven the Hunter comes to theaters this holiday season.
Sergei Kravinoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Bullet Train/Levi Miller; Pan) is the older son of Nikolai (Russel Crowe; Gladiator), a Russian drug lord who is cruel and heartless, even where his children are concerned. When Nikolai pulls the boys out of school after their mother dies, he takes them on a hunting trip to teach them how to "be men".
While on safari, Sergei gets attacked by "the beast" - an old and powerful lion. As he lies dying, a young girl named Calypso (Ariana DeBose; West Side Story) gives him a potion and when it mixes with his and the lion's blood, Sergei becomes miraculously healed and gains super-strengthened heightened senses. As he grows older, he becomes a mercenary until the day he needs to use his skills to save his younger brother, Dmitri (Fred Hechinger; Gladiator II/Billy Barratt; Blinded By the Light), from his father's enemies.
Taylor-Johnson is well cast as Kraven. Not only does he have the physical characteristics to portray a superhuman, but he also has an intense stare and calm demeanor that is often associated with a predator. Hechinger comes across as a sniveling baby, similar to the young brother he portrayed in Gladiator II. Crowe, who has had some wonderful roles in the past, is wasted. He is more annoying than anything else, but that may partly be due to the script. DeBose is even more annoying than Crowe and disrupts every scene she is in, but not in a good way.
The script is not well written, with cringe-worthy lines and several plot points all mashed together to try and create something that makes sense. While it would seem smart to go into deep details of Kraven's life, much of it is summarized as are the backstories of the other characters. Even without going into details, the movie is over two hours long and yet offers little in the way of substance.
The production is a mixed bag of well-choreographed action sequences, good stunts, and hit-or-miss CGI. The stampede is an example of the latter while Kraven's climbing skills show off the stunt work. As for the action, if that is the reason you want to see this movie, you won't be disappointed.
What is most odd about this movie is the way Kraven is portrayed. In the comics, he is a sort of anti-hero/villain who preys on others, especially Spider-Man. However, in this movie, he comes across as a sympathetic mercenary who only kills those who deserve it (kind of like Dexter). I'm sure that was a conscious decision by the writers to make him come across as more likable. Sadly, even with that concession, the film still isn't great, but that shouldn't surprise anyone as the release date was pushed back more than once which usually isn't a good sign.
Grade: C-
