Kraven the Hunter (2024)
In an oddly
quiet mid-December for film, the R-rated Sony movie Kraven the Hunter landed
with a thud.
Aaron
Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven. As a boy, he was mauled by a lion and then given a
magical serum by a young girl when he was apparently dying. The combination
grants him superpowers, but the movie is a bit hazy on the specifics and the
rules of his existence.
Marvel movies,
as well as Marvel associated movies like this one, have often struggled with
villain problems, and Kraven the Hunter's main boss, the Rhino
(Alessandro Nivola), is a dud. Another hitman villain belatedly appears over an
hour into the 127-minute film. Neither make much of an impression, which is a
shame because action movies often rise to the level of their villain.
But it's not
like Kraven fares much better. He has a troubled relationship with his abusive
Russian oligarch father (Russell Crowe) and is protective of his weaker younger
brother Dimitri (Fred Hechinger). He doesn't have much of a personality,
though.
Oscar-winner
Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) plays the adult version of the young
girl who gave Kraven his magical serum. Sadly, she has very little to work with
in the film.
Aside from some
stomach-churning R-rated gore in a Marvel associated movie, there's nothing
particularly new here. Comic book movies can be art, but this one feels very
perfunctory with lots of expository dialogue and ho-hum action scenes.
Shockingly, it was directed by J.C. Chandor, who has helmed three strong adult
dramas in his career (Margin Call, All Is Lost, and A Most
Violent Year). It is possible for a director to work within comic
book/franchise constraints and still keep a personal touch (Shane Black in Iron
Man 3 or James Gunn in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise leap to
mind). But Chandor doesn't here (by all means, please do check out his three
other previously mentioned films).
