Kraven the Hunter Movie Review

“Kraven the Hunter” is a Sony Pictures movie about a Marvel character in the ‘Spider-Man Universe’. It is not a Marvel movie. That is a roundabout way of saying this is another Spider-Man related movie that has no Spider-Man. But it uses a super-powered Spidey villain named ‘Kraven’ to power up a story of evil crime lords, and the people who hunt them…

 

 

In London, there is a big boss of a Russian Crime Family. This is Nikolai Kravinoff (played by Russell Crowe). He is with his young sons, after their mother has died in a mental hospital.

 

Nikolai is a big game hunter, and he feels that he should aways be the predator. He is out for a legend of the savannah, a savage beast who is King amongst the Lions. You know — a Loin King. That animal’s name is probably not Mufasa…

 

Nikolai goes with his teenage sons Sergei (played by Levi Miller) and his stepson Dmitri. Nikolai is pestered by another hunter in the group named Aleksei Sytsevich (played by Alessandro Nivola). Nikolai thinks that Aleksei is weak and will never amount to anything. He wants to make sure that never happens to his sons.

 

Dmitri and Sergei get separated from the safari group. Sergei is attacked by the King of the Beasts, the legendary Lion. Nearby is a young woman who heard the cries.This lady, named Calypso, sees that Sergei is attacked by the fierce Lion while protecting Dmitri.

 

Calypso has a special ancient family potion. She gives it to Sergei, and it will revive him from death. Sergei was also infused with the blood of the royal Lion. Nikolai gets Sergei to the clinic, just long enough for him to recover from being dead. Dad has got to get back to London and control the Crime Family, after all…

 

Sergei sees that he is infused with special powers, now that the potion has revived him from death. Also, the majestic Lion blood has given him super strength and healing powers. He is sick of his father and all of the time he spends running the Crime Family.

 

He bugs out as a teenager, leaving Dmitri behind to feel the wrath of Nikolai. Sergei winds up in the plains of Eastern Russia, where his mother’s family used to have a summer place.

 

But sixteen years later, Sergei (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has ditched his family name. He now goes by Kraven. He feels a need to go after criminals, such as crime lords and animal poachers. Kraven is pretty tough, because he can get into a Russian prison in Siberia. There is becomes the Hunter once more, finding a jailed Crime Boss who is locked away. Kraven takes out the Crime Boss and he outside the jailhouse walls in a flash.

 

Kraven is heartless when it comes to eliminating any poachers or criminals. But he still has a soft spot for his younger half-brother Dmitri (played by Fred Hechinger). He is in London to visit Dmitri on his birthday. But he finds that Dmitri has been kidnapped.

 

He goes in hot pursuit, and he is almost able to stop the abduction. He later found out it was done by the henchmen of new Major Crime Boss: Aleksei Sytsevich. That was the man rejected by Nikolai years ago from being his partner. Now Aleksei seeks revenge.

 

Aleksei has a genetically altered condition that turns him in a thick-skinned beast. He can become the Rhino. Now, holding Dmitri, Aleksei can demand from Nikolai Kravinoff anything that he wants. Kraven requires some help at this point. He is able to trace back many years ago to find the grown up lady who had saved his life. She is Calypso (played by Ariana DeBose), and she is surprised to see that Kraven survived.

 

Calypso is a high-powered attorney and she is able to get the information on the group who has Dmitri held as hostage. Her source says that Dmitri is a prisoner in Northern Turkey. She does not know that ‘her source’ was misled by a shadowy assassin agent.

 

This agent has no known name, and he only goes by the Foreigner (played by Christopher Abbott). This man has no special strength or speed powers, but he does have a way to mess with your mind. He was hired by Aleksei to lead Kraven into a trap.

 

Kraven is sent into a trap in Turkey. He is able to escape, but now Calypso is in danger. His father, Nikolai, wants nothing more that bring the Crime Empire of Aleksei Sytsevich down in flames. To do that, he would give up his step-son, Dmitri. But to end the reign of the Rhino — Nikolai will need the help of Kraven the Hunter.

 

Nikolai sees things differently than his son. Kraven will not help because he wants to bring down the Rhino. He will only help to get the release of his step-brother Dmitri. Kraven takes Calypso to the only place his knows to be safe.

 

He takes her to the plains of Eastern Russia — the Kraven hideout on the Steppes. Rhino has all of his best henchmen head over to find and destroy Kraven and Calypso. He takes with him the shadowy agent — the Foreigner. Kraven finds the Foreigner in the woods.

 

Kraven is much stronger than the Foreigner and could defeat him in seconds. But the assassin agent has powers to mess with Kraven’s mind, to make him think he is being attacked by spiders and such. It’s a good thing that Calypso went to Summer Camp and was good with a bow and arrow. But for now, Dmitri is still hostage, and Rhino and his reckless renegades are still on the prowl.

 

In many other ‘superhero’ type movies, this could lead to a major showdown in a major city. A beam of powerful light could come down from above, and the hero must battle the enemy over the Fate of the World. But here — Kraven alone fights off Rhino, and his squad of henchmen. Kraven is also helped along by a large heard of musk oxen — so guess that does make it a fair fight.

 

In the end, Kraven still has the problem that his father, Nikolai Kravinoff, is a Crime Boss. But Kraven takes care of that problem. Kraven had saved the life of Dmitri from the grasp of Rhino. But the Rhino is vanquished, and Dmitri is free. But he is free also to make a change himself. Dmitri just might be on his way to causing more issues by taking over the Kravinoff Crime Family. And he gets a genetically altered condition that allows him to become anyone he wants to become.

 

Dmitri has introduced himself as the Chameleon. But I’m sure they are planning on saving that story line for the Kraven Sequel…

 

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“Kraven the Hunter” takes lesser-known comic book character from the Marvel Spider-Man stories and dresses him up in fur and leather. Aaron Taylor-Johnson does a splendid job showing off his skills and muscles. Making Kraven the main focus is fine, but the supporting crew needs some help.

 

Fred Hechinger (as Dmitri) is OK, and Ariana DeBose has a limited part in the story. Russell Crowe (as Nikolai) has his heavy-accent bluster level turned way up. But a very weak showing out of Alessandro Nivola (as Rhino) and Christopher Abbott(the Foreigner) do not help matters much.

 

Overall, this is fun way to a see a lot of heavy action-oriented stunts and deft camera work. Director J. C. Chandor can handle the quick action, but there story does not let him dig into much of any deep emotional connections. The “Spider-Man Universe” might be coming to close, but at least this one is ending on a high note.

 

“Kraven the Hunter”: Can Sony Pictures make up for the most recent bombs in the “Spider-Man Universe” (“Morbius” and “Madame Web”)? It all depends on much the audience is craven’ the “Kraven”…