Film: Kraven the Hunter

I have to be transparent, this is a hard review for me to write. I try my hardest not to dismiss or degrade films. I hate being in the negative masses who complain about films. Not only is making films difficult, in and of itself, but they are for the individual, they aren’t always going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The films that are the hardest to write reviews for, however, are the movies that had the potential to be really good, the ingredients are there to be compelling and interesting, but somehow they just fall short. It’s frustrating. For me, that’s where Kraven the Hunter finds its placement. I’m not mad, I’m disappointed.

My knowledge of superheroes is limited to begin with, and almost nonexistent for villains, so I am not familiar with the character of Kraven. The film, Kraven the Hunter focuses on Sergei Kravinoff, aka Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and his rise to become the greatest hunter of villains the underworld has seen. Director JC Chandor and screenwriters Richard Wenk, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway explore how the complicated relationship between Sergei and his bully of a father Nikolai (Russell Crowe) has made Kraven the man he is today. When you add a bit of African mysticism, thanks to the ancestry of Calypso Ezili(Ariana DeBose), to childhood trauma, the outcome is a notorious character who lives in the shadows.

Going into the film blind with just that knowledge, I’m in. I would love to see that explored. I think some of the best villains need internal trauma to explain their outward deviance. Who better than Taylor-Johnson to let that internal anger ooze onto the screen. He is a wonderful actor, one who can bring a grounding to a chaotic world. Not to mention the ultimate intimidation in human form Crowe, you shouldn’t have gone wrong. In my opinion, These two carry a lot of the movie, but few others can rise to the task to match them. 

That’s not to say the other cast are less-than-ideal actors, but I think they weren’t allowed to use their talent in a way that benefited the story we were witnessing. One of the most powerful performances in the last five years was Anita in West Side Story (2021). What DeBose delivered in that film still moves me today. She has the ability to tap into a centralized contradiction that would have been of use in Kraven the Hunter, however her scenes weren’t long enough or impactful enough to allow her to do that.

I will say, though, the character I couldn’t get enough of was The Foreigner, played by Christopher Abbott. I don’t know where he fits regarding the larger Spider-Man universe, but holy hell was he intriguing.  Every time this character was in Kraven the Hunter I couldn’t look away. He commanded everyone he was in scenes with, which blended nicely to the power The Foreigner had as a supervillain. I know the side world of villains is over with, but I would have loved or had hoped for a stand-alone Foreigner movie. This, however, is the perfect Segway into the other element of this film that I was disheartened by, the magic of this world.

Since the beginning of the film, there have always been movies that require audiences to suspend their disbelief in what they are watching. From a mouse driving a steamboat to seven brothers and wives breaking out in random dances throughout their day, we have always been blessed with movie magic. For me, I think Kraven the Hunter spent too much time explaining the magic instead of letting it breathe and organically grow. 

I understand, that for a relatively unknown character, there has to be time to examine the origins, but we didn’t need to explain the cosmic energy that aided the arrival of Kraven. It felt forced, even though it’s a huge part of the legend of this world. I wanted to see more of it, I wanted to explore more of Calypso’s background and relationship to Kraven, not just the MacGuffin reappearance at the end. If we as an audience are supposed to buy the magic of potions, the film should lean in and not allow there to be room for doubt. The way it’s presented is just as an easy way out but then drops the ball on the follow-through. There are limited times throughout Kraven the Hunter that even explore these powers without the reminder of where they come from. I wanted to live more in the world of magic animal power than what we were allowed.

The hardest thing has been living in this purgatory, so close to an interesting film but tipping so heavily to the inadequate side. I wanted Kraven the Hunter to be good. Not because I’m a lover of superheroes, which I am, but because the premise and the character presented an opportunity for a robust story. Instead, we got snippets of situations that didn’t always blend into each other. This, however, is one woman’s opinion. Please go and see it to form your own thoughts. Film discussion and disagreements are what make viewing entertaining. 

Kraven the Hunter is out in theaters now.

Written by Lisa M Mejia
Images provided by Sony Pictures