“There’s an ounce of truth in every myth.”
Why am I not surprised? It is true to form that the sixth and final film in the Sony Spiderman Universe (SSU) would be my favorite. I’m sure that will be a unpopular opinion, as Venom has the popular vote, and while I did enjoy Venom, it is tainted by the sequels, which in the end left me with the opinion that the franchise should have just been the a one-and-done like the other installments in the SSU are fated to become. Ironic, as Kraven The Hunter served as a very good origin story, and the story set up what could have been a very interesting future confrontation in a sequel. However, Sony’s decision to pivot away from the SSU essentially means that this Aaron Taylor-Johnson-led film will be the only film to follow the character. Pity, as Taylor-Johnson gave a great performance, and the story quality was well executed. As I said, I expect my opinion is an unpopular one as Kraven The Hunter falls victim of the fruit of the poisonous-tree stigma. Because of the disappointing execution of the films set in the same universe, Kraven The Hunter is fated to be painted with the same brush. So my advice to anyone interested in seeing this film is that you have to put the others out of your mind and see this as it was intended to be: a standalone film.
Now that film does take certain liberties when it comes to Kraven’s backstory, as well as the decision to imbue the character with superhuman abilities. Even so, I didn’t find these deviations detrimental to the story’s quality. As diehard Spiderman fans know, Kraven in the comics is human and uses his skills as a big game hunter to best his prey. In the film, after being attacked by a lion with the lion’s blood and an elixir from a powerful priestess, Kraven gains enhanced strength, speed, and senses. Kraven utilizes these abilities to become a hunter of poachers and so-called predators who believe they are at the top of the food chain. Part of the character’s motivation has to do with his upbringing; the son of a Russian gangster, Kraven or Sergei Kravinoff as he is known at the time, is educated and expected to take over his father’s empire. Naturally these expectations and his motivations can not coexist and set the film on a collision course with his father, who is excellently played by Russell Crowe. Crowe is no stranger to Marvel films, having played Zeus in Thor Love and Thunder. However, in my opinion, I prefer his performance in this film to that one. He has more presence in this film, and the complex father-and-son dynamic between Crowe and Taylor-Johnson makes the film all the more intriguing.
Another deviation in the film is that Kraven is actually an anti-hero instead of a villain. This change to the character is to be expected and has been a common theme of the SSU. After all, it is kind of hard to root for a villain unless they’re sympathetic, but then you run the risk of them not being considered a true villain. That said, I did not mind this change, because as I said it was a expected one, and I find antiheroes to be more interesting than heroes and villains. Things are rarely black-or-white, and Kraven The Hunter very much lives in shades of gray.
Speaking of shades of gray, you know why this film is my favorite in the SSU? Because this film is the first Marvel movie from Sony to be released into theaters with an “R” rating. You know what that means? Bloody violence being promised. At this point, it might as well be a proven formula; there are certain Marvel characters that belong in an “R” rating format. The Punisher, Deadpool, and think about how much better the first Venom film could have been if the Lethal Protector could have really delivered on the carnage, pun intended. Kraven The Hunter’s “R” rating gave the film the much-needed freedom to deliver a true-to-the-character story. After all, there have been multiple attempts to bring Kraven the Hunter to the big screen, all of which ultimately fell through. Sam Raimi wanted him to appear in Spider-Man 4 before it was canceled, and Kraven’s spear appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) as a tease for his planned appearance in the Sinister Six film that was also canceled. As for the MCU, Ryan Coogler wanted to include him in Black Panther (2018), taking inspiration from Christopher Priest’s Black Panther comic book, but he couldn’t secure the rights. And finally, Jon Watts wanted Kraven to be the backup villain for Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) in case the multiverse story didn’t pan out. Who knew that the key to making the movie happen was an “R” rating?
I won’t go into the story details too much because I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that the previews and promos are not doing it justice. I feel comfortable saying that what you are seeing in the preview is not the film you will see when you see it in theaters, and I mean that in a good way. The preview had me somewhat begrudgingly seeing the film, as it gave me a preconceived notion of where the film would go, and it felt like it would inevitably be full of cliché with only one obvious outcome. That is not what happened, and I was thankful for it, because it made things all the more exciting and enjoyable.
As I said, it’s ironic that I finally enjoy and get excited about one of the SSU installments and it’s doomed from the start. No surprise there, but despite a sequel being unlikely to occur, it doesn’t diminish the quality of Kraven The Hunter or Aaron Taylor-Johnson portrayal. I will just consider it as an appetizer for the more tantalizing projects he has coming down the road, such as the third installment in the 28 Days Later series and the rumors that Talor-Johnson could be earning his “00” status in the future.
