The first reactions to Sony‘s latest Marvel movie Kraven the Hunter are in – and they’re praising the R-rated action, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and little else.
Also starring Ariana DeBose (as voodoo priestess and Kraven’s love interest Calypso), Fred Hechinger (as Kraven’s half-brother Chameleon), Christopher Abbott, Levi Miller, and Russell Crowe (as Kraven’s father), the superhero flick sees Kraven (Taylor-Johnson) face-off against Alessandro Nivola’s Rhino while navigating his complicated, antagonistic relationship with his dad.
“Kraven the Hunter is exactly the film you’d expect at this point. The film doesn’t understand a single character it tries to adapt to screen and the whole movie often feels created by AI,” writes The Direct’s Russ Milheim.
“Kraven the Hunter is the perfect example to teach on film schools of how badly messed up your editing, story and performances,” said This is For Reel critic Alex Kokke. “There’s only one good action sequence, but awful stuff. Glad this universe is ending.”
“So Kraven the Hunter… A big ol bucket of NAH. While I liked the action, it cutaway from it so quick one didn’t get to enjoy it! AWFUL acting, terrible script and a waste of Aaron Taylor Johnson, who I actually enjoyed in the role! Wayyyy too quick, not a great story… farewell,” tweeted Geekly Goods’ Leo Rydel.
Not everyone disliked the movie, though. YouTuber Grace Randolph took to Twitter to praise the movie, gushing: So… I’m seeing other people post reactions so I guess the social media embargo has lifted….? I LOVED IT As good as the first Venom. I would watch it again!”
Check out some more reactions below…
#KravenTheHunter is fun when Johnson is in action causing bloody chaos but everything else is a drag. Great cast held back by clunky dull dialogue. Another instance of a villain turned hero. A story that lacks any intrigue. Rhino & Chameleon wasted. Overall a disappointment. pic.twitter.com/YIlyJnsjQHDecember 11, 2024
I really wanted to love Kraven The Hunter, but the awful first act, bad CGI and even worst dialogue ruined it. The best things about the film are Aaron’s performance and the BLOODY action sequences but that wasn’t enough. These characters deserved better. #KravenTheHunter pic.twitter.com/fF7aCGFI6cDecember 11, 2024
#Kraven excels in action but ultimately just doesn’t have the sauce. Strange story structure decisions, overwhelmingly brutal ADR, & an overall disbelief w/in the characters themselves. Crowe was the only one who sold his dialogue. Leagues above most SSUs but still lacks. pic.twitter.com/195gyBcmXIDecember 11, 2024
Saw #KravenTheHunter tonight and why do CGI animals in 2024 look worse than the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park from over 30 years ago? CGI blockbusters need to make changes because somehow they are looking more and more unrealistic. The JP T-Rex is still the gold standard. pic.twitter.com/IxJM6E7gISDecember 11, 2024
Just saw #KravenTheHunter and it’s a total BLAST! There are lots of references to the Spider-Man lore that will wow fans. Great cinematic action, the R-Rating was a delight. Aaron Taylor-Johnon really embodied the character, phenomenal performance. Don’t miss it December 13th! pic.twitter.com/gGPXajgqYGDecember 11, 2024
Kraven the Hunter releases on December 13. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming major movie release dates for everything 2024 has in store until then.