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ANOTHER DISMAL SUPERHERO FAILURE
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has certainly had a rocky journey, aiming to expand upon various Marvel Comics characters tied to the iconic web-slinging hero—Spider-Man—without actually including him in these features. It’s an ambitious concept: building a cinematic universe centered around Spider-Man’s villains and side characters, while leaving out the hero himself. Given Marvel Studios’ immense success over the past two decades, Sony likely saw this as a lucrative opportunity to reenter the superhero genre on its own terms. However, this endeavor has proven underwhelming and inconsistent, with most of its releases plagued by criticism and sloppy execution that fail to elevate the films themselves. The Venom films (2018’s Venom, 2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and 2024’s Venom: The Last Dance) have been the most successful entries in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, drawing interest from audiences. Yet even these have struggled with incoherent storytelling and an inability to live up to their own hype. Other entries, such as 2022’s Morbius and 2024’s Madame Web, fared far worse, drawing widespread negative reviews from critics and audiences alike. These films only further emphasized the franchise’s lack of direction and vision. Now, Sony Pictures and director J.C. Chandor present the latest, and supposedly final, chapter in this troubled franchise: Kraven the Hunter. The question is, does this film redeem the series and offer a strong sendoff, or is it merely the final nail in the coffin?
THE STORY
Sergei (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is the son of Russian crime lord Nikolai (Russell Crowe) and has spent his life trying to escape his father’s obsession with strength and power. During a hunting trip in Africa, shortly after the death of his mother, Sergei is tested when a lion threatens his younger brother, Dimitri (Fred Hechinger). Unable to kill the beast, Sergei is mauled and left with near-fatal injuries. Unbeknownst to him, he is saved by Calypso (Ariana DeBose), the daughter of a voodoo priestess, who injects him with a magical serum. The lion’s blood fuses with Sergei’s, transforming him into a powerful, animalistic predator in human form. Years later, Sergei adopts a new identity as Kraven the Hunter, a deadly assassin who targets those who stand in his way. However, his past catches up to him when Dimitri resurfaces, pulling him back into his family’s dark history. As the brothers clash, Calypso, now a lawyer, offers her aid. Meanwhile, the mysterious Aleksei (Alessandro Nivola) rises in the shadows, manifesting the powers of “The Rhino” and posing a new threat to both Kraven and Nikolai.
THE GOOD / THE BAD
To borrow a sentiment from my Madame Web review, I’ve never been the biggest fan of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. While it’s admirable that Sony continues to pursue its own superhero world, especially given the popularity of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the MCU, their solo ventures have consistently fallen short.
I wasn’t particularly impressed with the Venom films. While I appreciate Tom Hardy’s dedication to the role, both movies lacked the compelling storytelling and structure to make them feel truly worthwhile. Let There Be Carnage, in particular, felt rushed and chaotic. Morbius was even worse, a disjointed mess with a talented cast (Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Jared Harris) that was squandered by weak writing and direction.
In 2024, Sony released Madame Web and Venom: The Last Dance. Madame Web was, without question, a failure, poorly written, poorly acted, and utterly bland. It was the kind of origin story that felt like it belonged in a bygone era of superhero cinema. Venom: The Last Dance was an improvement by comparison, but still suffered from the same issues that have haunted the franchise since the beginning. Tom Hardy again delivered a solid performance, but not even his charisma could save the film from its messy pacing and shallow storytelling.
In theory, I support the idea of expanding Spider-Man’s universe, he has one of the richest rogues’ galleries in comics, but Sony’s execution has been lackluster. They need to go back to the drawing board and rethink their approach to delivering engaging, well-crafted superhero films.
Which brings us to Kraven the Hunter, a film that initially sparked some excitement when it was first announced. The character of Kraven is a classic Spider-Man villain, and many fans were curious to see how he would be adapted for the big screen. Sony promised that Kraven would be grittier, more grounded, and even R-rated, a departure from the PG-13 constraints of their previous installments. The trailers looked promising, offering a darker, more visceral take on the genre. I also liked the casting of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who seemed like a strong choice for the role.
Originally scheduled for release on January 13, 2023, Kraven faced several delays, eventually landing on December 13, 2024, due to the SAG-AFTRA strike and reshuffling of Sony’s release calendar. I caught the film during its opening weekend, but due to my workload and backlog of other reviews, I had to postpone writing this one…. until now.
So, was it worth the wait? Unfortunately, no. Kraven the Hunter ends up being yet another misstep in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. While it makes a few attempts at compelling storytelling and character development, the film ultimately falls victim to the same problems as its predecessors: bland characters, disjointed pacing, and derivative plotlines. It’s better than Madame Web, but that’s not saying much.
Director J.C. Chandor, best known for All Is Lost, A Most Violent Year, and Triple Frontier, feels like an odd choice to helm a superhero film. While it’s not unheard of for directors outside the genre to offer fresh takes, Chandor’s attempt here is a mixed bag. On the positive side, he tries to infuse some emotional depth into the story, particularly with the family dynamics between Sergei, Dimitri, and Nikolai. This angle gives the film a foundational layer that’s slightly more grounded than previous entries.
The action sequences are also a step up. Thanks to the R-rating, the film doesn’t shy away from violence, and a few of the more brutal scenes pack a punch. Chandor handles these moments well, delivering intensity and spectacle when needed.
Visually, Kraven the Hunter meets expectations for a mid-budget superhero film. The production design by Eve Stewart, along with the efforts of the set decoration and costume teams, help craft a believable world that straddles the line between gritty realism and comic book flair. Cinematographer Ben Davis delivers a few standout shots, though nothing particularly groundbreaking. The score, composed by Evgueni Galperine, Sacha Galperine, and Benjamin Wallfisch, is serviceable, there are a couple of memorable cues, but it mostly fades into the background.
Yet, despite a few presentational strengths, Kraven the Hunter ultimately stumbles where it matters most: in its storytelling. The film’s narrative structure is clunky, lacking the cohesion and clarity needed to fully engage its audience. From the outset, the story struggles to find a compelling rhythm, weighed down by a script that feels both rushed and stretched thin at the same time. It attempts to juggle too many narrative threads, family drama, moral awakening, revenge thriller, and comic book mythology, but never manages to weave them together in a way that feels satisfying or meaningful.
The pacing, too, is wildly uneven. Moments that should feel urgent or emotionally resonant are instead bogged down by exposition or meandering dialogue, while action scenes meant to deliver high stakes and adrenaline come across as either too brief or poorly executed. Instead of building a steadily intensifying arc, the film moves in fits and starts, often lingering too long on underdeveloped subplots while glossing over critical character development.
What’s more disappointing is the sheer lack of originality in the story’s core themes and character arcs. The “tormented anti-hero” angle has been done countless times in superhero cinema, and Kraven the Hunter brings nothing new to the table. The beats of Sergei’s transformation and redemption feel overly familiar, predictable, and painfully formulaic, more like a checklist of genre tropes than a cohesive character journey. Chandor, for all his prior strengths as a director, never quite injects the film with the momentum or emotional depth it needs to feel fresh or impactful. As a result, what could’ve been a gritty and compelling character study ends up feeling more like a hollow imitation of better stories told elsewhere.
Additionally, the film’s visual effects are one of its weakest elements, often serving more as a distraction than enhancing the film’s more fantastical moments. The CGI in Kraven the Hunter is a mixed bag—decent in a few places but mostly messy and outdated compared to modern superhero blockbusters. Green/blue screen usage is glaringly obvious, visual effects appear cheap, and at times even downright goofy (Rhino’s appearance borders on laughable). While I understand CGI-heavy sequences can be expensive and time-consuming, the execution here is simply poor. What’s presented on-screen often feels incomplete or rushed.
These issues are compounded by the film’s cast, who, despite having screen presence, are undermined by flat, underwritten characters and some questionable casting choices. The standout among the ensemble is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who plays Sergei Kravinoff, a.k.a. Kraven the Hunter. Known for his roles in Tenet, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Nosferatu, Taylor-Johnson brings a convincing mix of grit and charisma to the role. He certainly has the screen presence to carry a film, and he does the best with what he’s given. However, the character of Sergei himself is disappointingly formulaic. His arc, framed around the familiar “anti-hero with a tragic past” narrative, feels tired and derivative. We’ve seen this type of character journey many times before, and Kraven does little to innovate that material set-up. Ultimately, Taylor-Johnson is the film’s strongest asset, but even his performance can’t fully elevate such a predictable protagonist.
Fred Hechinger (Gladiator II, News of the World) portrays Dmitri Kravinoff, Sergei’s estranged half-brother. There’s potential in Dmitri’s character, he’s weaker, emotionally and physically, and resented by their father, but the film struggles to explore this dynamic in a meaningful way. The script doesn’t seem to know what to do with him, and as a result, Dmitri comes off as jumbled and underdeveloped. Hechinger gives an adequate performance, but it’s ultimately forgettable.
The weakest performance comes from Ariana DeBose (Wish, West Side Story) as Calypso, a voodoo priestess who aids Kraven on his journey. While DeBose is a capable actress, her portrayal here feels hollow, likely due to how underwritten her character is. After being introduced during the first act, Calypso is relegated to the sidelines with little to do for the remainder of the film. The script attempts to force a romantic subplot between her and Sergei, but it feels contrived rather than earned. Despite DeBose’s talent, this role feels like a miscast and a waste of her abilities.
That said, I did find the younger versions of Sergei, Dmitri, and Calypso—played by Levi Miller (Pan), Billy Barratt (Responsible Child), and Diaana Babnicova (The Famous Five), respectively—to be handled fairly well. Their performances were decent and they did what was needed of them.
A more puzzling character is Nikolai Kravinoff, the estranged father and ruthless crime lord played by Russell Crowe (Gladiator, Les Misérables). While the role had potential, Crowe’s portrayal feels like a caricature. He adopts the stereotypical “tough Russian mob boss” persona, but it comes off more hokey than intimidating. Despite being the most seasoned actor in the cast, Crowe can’t do much with the poorly written role. His performance teeters between camp and cliché, making it difficult to take him seriously. Even for a comic book film.
Similarly, Alessandro Nivola (Face/Off, The Brutalist) plays Aleksei Sytsevich, a Russian mercenary who eventually transforms into the Rhino. Unfortunately, this character suffers from poor direction and writing. Nivola’s exaggerated voice and stiff mannerisms make Aleksei feel more like a cartoon than a credible villain. His transformation into the Rhino during the film’s climax is particularly awful, thanks in large part to terrible CGI. Nivola tries, but the result is another bland and forgettable antagonist in a film already full of them.
Other supporting players, including Murat Seven as Omer Aksoy, Yuri Kolokolnikov as Semyon Chorney, Tom Reed as Bert, and Christopher Abbott as “The Foreigner”, are given very little to work with. Many of these roles feel tacked on, with little narrative purpose or development. Abbott’s character, in particular, is set up as a potential wildcard but is dismissed in such an underwhelming way that it’s hard to understand why he was included at all.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Gifted with the instincts and strength of an apex predator, Sergei Kravinoff dedicates his life to protecting wildlife from poachers and criminals. But when family ties and dark secrets rise to the surface, Sergei must confront both his past and a new, looming threat in Kraven the Hunter. Director J.C. Chandor attempts to tell a darker, more mature superhero origin story centered around one of Marvel’s well-known antagonist characters and gives him an origin tale of sorts, but the final product is ultimately disappointing. Weak direction, lackluster action, jumbled storytelling, awkward dialogue, dated visual effects, and a mostly misused cast all contribute to a movie that struggles to justify its existence. I went in with low expectations, especially after Madame Web and Venom: The Last Dance, but even then, this film offered little more than a few scattered moments of potential. The story is generic, the characters are thin, and while the R-rated violence adds some grit, it doesn’t compensate for the film’s lack of substance. Taylor-Johnson gives it his all, but one solid performance can’t save an otherwise forgettable and tedious movie. While Kraven the Hunter is marginally better than Madame Web, that’s hardly a compliment. It still scrapes the bottom of the barrel in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. My verdict recommendation? A hard “skip it”. The film adds nothing meaningful to the superhero genre and serves as a dull, uninspired final chapter to a franchise that never found its footing. If this truly marks the end of Sony’s villain-focused saga, it’s a fitting, if unfortunate, nail in the coffin.
1.5 out of 5 (Skip It)
The Official Website for Kraven the Hunter Link: HERE
Released On: December 13th, 2024
Reviewed On: April 25th, 2025
Kraven the Hunter is 127 minutes long and is rated R for strong bloody violence and language
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