We’ve seen a variety of films from the Sony Marvel universe over the years. That includes the subset of non-Spider-Man films from Sony. The most famous of those is Venom, but we’ve seen a trio of releases in 2024, perhaps a last gasp from that lineup.
The year began with Dakota Johnson’s Madame Web and it’s ending with Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven the Hunter. This one introduces the character, builds a story, and leads into a potential franchise. But is this film good enough to establish that franchise?
The film begins with quite the introduction to Sergei Kravinoff (Taylor-Johnson), who is better known as The Hunter to those who fear him and Kraven to those who meet him just before their ending. After he pulls off an incredibly complex hit in a Russian prison, he flies away literally in a snowstorm. But how did Kraven come to have this mission—and these gifts?
Quickly we’re transported back 16 years. Sergei and his brother, Dmitri (Fred Hechinger in the present), have an icy relationship with their father Nikolai (Russell Crowe), a renowned criminal. He takes the boys on a safari hunting adventure, but things go off track when Sergei is attacked by a lion and carried off. Near death, the lion bleeds into him just before a young girl, Calypso (Ariana Debose in the present), who gives him a magical elixir meant for healing.
Sergei doesn’t die. Instead, he gains new powers and a new mission—to rid the world of men like his father. Back in the present, her reunites with Calypso, now a lawyer, to help with his work. When Dmitri is kidnapped by a crime boss named The Rhino (Alessandro Nivola), Kraven springs into action. Can he save his brother and uncover the deeper plot?
A better question might be, does it matter. This film at times looks better than it deserves. Director J.C. Chandor has given us films like All Is Lost and A Most Violent Year, and we see that in the natural scenes, particularly in Kraven’s home base in Eastern Russia. But the CGI sequences, of which there are many, look rough.
There are some technical issues with the film. The CGI sequences lack polish, as do simple things like some of the ADR, which obviously doesn’t align with the movements of the actor’s mouths in a few sequences. That isn’t helped by a wide variety and quality of performances. While I enjoyed Taylor-Johnson in the role and his sequences with DeBose, they felt something like outliers.
Crowe seems bored in his sequences, while Hechinger feels over-the-top. But he’s quite grounded compared to our villains played by Nivola and Christopher Abbott. Nivola has lines and line deliveries that illicit laughs. That is part of the story issues with this film.
The story issues include not really explaining what is happening with any of the characters and their backstories. Even the set up for Kraven doesn’t clearly explain what his powers are or how they work, which leads to some wildly unbelievable swings. Same for the Rhino.
The film doesn’t have any mid- or post-credit sequences, but the ending does imply a future for a franchise. Given that this film was delayed a few times and doesn’t deliver much, it’s doubtful we see anything come of that open-ended final sequence. Honestly, I’m fine leaving some questions unanswered.
Overall, Kraven the Hunter isn’t the worst of the superhero films we’ve seen, or even the worst of the Sony non-Spider-Man films. But it’s hardly must-see entertainment, either. If you’re a die-hard fan, you’ll catch it in the theater. If you’re a completist, you can catch it in a few months on streaming. If you’re neither, you won’t miss much by missing out on the adventures of Kraven the Hunter.
Kraven the Hunter is now playing in theaters nationwide.