‘Kraven the Hunter’ – A wasted potential

Kraven the Hunter is yet another film based on a character from the supporting roster of Spider-Man. So far, the web head’s cinematic success hasn’t spilled over to any of the other contenders in this category, but maybe this time will be different. After all, the approach of turning villains into anti-heroes has been a misguided strategy that failed Morbius, but somewhat worked for Venom. Unfortunately Kraven the Hunter more aligns with the former.

If you know nothing about Kraven the Hunter, the film gets you up to speed with a fairly decent first act. A brutal action sequence sees Kraven taking his hunt to the seediest of society. His special set of skills are directed to the worst of the worst. It’s not the most conventional career choice, but thankfully, Kraven takes a nice long plane ride to think about his entire life.

The extended flashback section of the film is carried by Russel Crowe and his thick Russian accent, playing a young Kraven’s father. His character is a brick wall of a man who sees his wife’s death by suicide as weakness, and decides to aid his children’s grief by taking them on a hunt for a man-eating lion.

What’s most frustrating about Kraven the Hunter is its wasted potential. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a Russian assassin, but thanks to being raised in the US, he sounds threatening. The story is pulled in so many different directions, feeling like a poorly done remix of several different scripts. Kraven lacks cohesion, and its action is not impressive enough of a distraction.

Kraven the Hunter could have had unprecedented cultural relevance. The story is about a man who takes it upon himself to hunt down the wealthy who exploit the vulnerable, coming at a time after the very real world public assassination of the same kind. More than that, the main character rebukes his father’s teachings of toxic masculinity, but is still caught within a cycle of violence, much like many misguided young men of today. Many of the issues in the film are timely, but they’re caught within a whirlwind of sub par visuals, brain numbing dialogue, and lacklustre pacing.

The movies have had a rough time recently. The one-two punch of a global pandemic and several labour strikes has affected both the quantity and quality of films. Despite this, there have been bright sparks that have not only entertained but inspired – lights in the darkness that offer a sense of security in a thriving industry, and a celebrated art form. There are those movies, and then there is Kraven the Hunter.

Rating: Catch It On Cable.

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.