The latest, and seemingly last, film in the Sony Spider-Man Universe (minus any Spider-Man), Kraven the Hunter has officially hit cinemas… and it is something. Let's get into it!
All images courtesy of Sony Pictures
Over-the-Top Action and Laughable Performances
Let’s try and be positive, there are about 10 minutes of this film that are entertaining to watch and they consist entirely of ridiculously over-the-top action scenes with lead Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
There are also a lot of laughs to be had in this movie… even though they are all completely unintentional. An example of this is at the beginning of a chase scene in London when Kraven, with a K, jumps off a building… it's the funniest thing I think I have seen this year. I laughed out loud.
Another hilarious moment comes when villain Rhino lets out an inexplicably funny, weird sound during one of his scenes. Couldn’t tell you why they decided to include this, but I’m thankful they did. Speaking of weird noises, Taylor Johnson's attempts at alpha-male growls during fight scenes devolve into inadvertent hilarity.
The villain lineup doesn’t help matters. Rhino is arguably the main antagonist, whose performance is very laughable, but the script shoehorns in many others. The Foreigner, an underdeveloped character whose involvement feels like an afterthought, is shoehorned in here without really any explanation. Blink, and you might miss his relevance entirely. 1… 2… 3… Kill Me Now.
A Script of the Times
It’s hard to overstate how much of an abomination the script is. This script is giving Madame Web’s ‘He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died’ a run for its money. It is a script that is as clunky as they come, and the unrealistic dialogue is riddled with exposition dumps, stupidity, and head-hurting lines. If there’s a textbook example of really poor writing, Kraven is it.
The accents, too, are all over the place. Russell Crowe’s performance, in particular, is a head-scratcher, with a Russian accent that is just dreadful.
Goofy and Bizarre… Perfectly Fits in this Universe!
The sequence where Kraven, with a K, gains his powers through a some-what ‘trip’ scene is unintentionally goofy and impossible to take seriously. All the scenes with Animals are just straight-up weird.
There’s a bizarre moment where Kraven, with a K, takes off his socks when sleeping in a park in London —a detail so unnecessary it feels like a parody of Quentin Tarantino’s famous foot fetish trope.
Geography seems to defy logic, yet again, in this universe. Characters travel from Russia to London with such ease and speed that it makes Madame Web’s infamous logistics look plausible in comparison.
Everything just seems to be convenient i.e. Ariana DeBose’s character carrying around her grandmother's Tarot cards her entire life.
The film also has a random inclusion of Harry Styles “Sign of the Times.” Why is it there? No one knows. But the sheer randomness of it is hilarious in its own right.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Kraven The Hunter is a a masterclass in how not to write a screenplay, or make a superhero blockbuster, yet its sheer ridiculousness is oddly entertaining… for a short amount of time. Whether it’s Russell Crowe’s performance, Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s unintentionally funny grunts, or the laughable script, there’s always something to cringe at—or laugh at.
If you’re looking for a film with a stupid Mufasa-looking lion head, a nonsensical script, questionable acting, unintentionally hilarious scenes, Aaron Taylor-Johnsons charming face profile, and a hilarious moment at the end on the Millennium Bridge in London, then Kraven the Hunter is your movie!
Kraven The Hunter, the last film in the Sony Spider-Man Universe (minus a Spider-Man) is now in cinemas! It may not be good, but it’s an experience!