Kraven the Hunter is the latest, "Spider-man villain" movie from Sony, and it stars a prolific, genre favorite, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, maybe-future 007 and alternate, Avengers/X-Men Quicksilver, who was also the intrepid lieutenant of Godzilla 2014, after gaining exposure as committed Kick-Ass in two cult movies.
For the sake of the Kraven adaptation, directed by J.C. (All Is Lost) Chandor and written by Richard (The Equalizer/Expendables 2) Wenk, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway (the latter two of Iron Man/Punisher: War Zone fame), it's more Sergei Kravinoff, the guy behind the feral myth, who's the focus. We learn that he's a Jungle Jim/Tarzan-ish, big-game hunter/hitman, who also despises poachers, and his adventure is revenge-ridden (with or without an attached vendetta, depending on the time and/or mission).
Though Kraven faces a number of opponents throughout his violent journey, a couple spring from official, Spidey lore. One is Christopher Abbott's the Foreigner, a mysterious, time-morphing mercenary who never fails to gets the jump on his opponents. The other is Alexander Nivola's nebbish but dangerous Alexsei Sytsevich, aka the Rhino, who, once transformed, more than lives up to his old-school, comic-book image. Indeed, both adversaries give Kraven a huge run for his money, but his most dastardly opponent is none other than his dear ol' dad, Nikolai.
Russell Crowe plays the intense patriarch, an affluent gangster pursued by affluent gangsters, who upholds a Fear Strikes Out, child-rearing adage. His ruthless actions distinguish the plot's power-grab situation, spearheading events enough to put even those close to him at death's door.
Rounding out Kraven's inner circle is Fred Hechinger's Dmitri Smerdyakov, aka the Chameleon, Kraven's sensitive, stepbrother, who holds the amazing ability to mimic voices and (later) physical forms, in addition to Ariana DeBose's Calypso Ezili, a priestess/attorney who keeps Kraven's lionized (pun intended) instincts in check, having played an essential part in his extraordinary development. (Levi Miller, Bill Barratt and Diaana Babnicova portray the adolescent versions of Kraven, Dmitri and Calypso during a potent flashback, which forges the story's backbone.)
The various characters connect well, whether in camaraderie or contention, while creating a world that, though Marvel-based, could just as well stand on its own, if not for the stream of grounded and fleeting tie-ins, including a Daily Bugle headline.
Rumor has it that Kraven is yet another link in a proposed, Sinister Six production, wherein the famed hunter would team with Eddie Brock/Venom, Max Dillion/Electro, Curtis Connors/the Lizard, Adrian Toomes/the Vulture and Michael Morbius the Living Vampire (with marginal participation from Madame Web and her girls).
Personally, I'd like to see Spidey (perhaps all three, Peter Parker variants from No Way Home) mix it up with Kraven and his "friends," but box-office receipts will determine that. For now, Kraven works as an uncompromising, tough-guy movie, which should only further entrench the chiseled Taylor-Johnson's position in the action/adventure genre. I also think it's neat that a character I used to gaze upon during my youth, as part of my Spider-man, Aurora kit, has hit the cinematic, big time. That's no small feat, no matter how much attention, praise or (alas) rejection this adaptation draws from the viewing public.
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