Movie Review: Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter delivers a gritty, R-rated origin story for one of Marvel’s most popular villains that you might not have heard of. Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Sergei Kravinoff, a man haunted by his toxic relationship with his ruthless gangster father, Nikolai (Russell Crowe). This broken father-son dynamic sets Sergei on a long path of vengeance, transforming him into not only the world’s greatest hunter but also one of its most feared predators. Read on for a spoiler-free movie review of Kraven the Hunter starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
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Aaron Taylor-Johnson is committed as Kraven, throwing himself fully into the role. He shows off the raw physicality of the character and also shows a vulnerable side as he deals with the emotional scars inflicted by his father. Despite his strong performance, however, the film’s pacing takes a hit in the middle, where the story slows to a crawl, and the action feels stagnant. This lull stops the momentum, and I found myself waiting for the plot to pick up again.
Christopher Abbott’s portrayal of The Foreigner adds a much-needed spark to the Kraven the Hunter movie, and he brings a quiet unsettling menace to the role. His portrayal is chilling, making him one of the more memorable aspects of the movie. On the other hand, Ariana DeBose’s Calypso feels so underutilized. She’s fine in the role, but her lack of chemistry with Taylor-Johnson undermines the supposed connection between their characters. The film hints at her voodoo powers but skips over her more villainous aspects from the comics, and as a romantic match for Kraven it just doesn’t work in the movie.
Russell Crowe as Kraven’s father is another weak link. His exaggerated accent and general miscasting make Nikolai feel out of place in a film. Crowe’s scenes detract from the tension rather than adding to it.
While the plot struggles to maintain consistency, Kraven the Hunter is still a step above Marvel’s recent Madame Web and it does have some entertaining aspects. It offers enough gritty action and character-driven moments to make it worth a watch for fans of darker, antihero stories—just don’t expect it to be a flawless film or a sequel from Sony that has struggled to capitalize on it’s Marvel titles.
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