‘Kraven The Hunter’ Bombs With Critics, Fails to Make an Impact in Superhero or SSU World

“Kraven the Hunter” is set to release this Friday as part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, but after the disappointing performance of “Madame Web,” expectations for the movie are low.

The film will focus on Kraven, one of Spider-Man’s most famous villains, with rumors suggesting it may adapt the iconic “Kraven’s Last Hunt” storyline. Despite efforts from Aaron Taylor Johnson and J.C. Chandor to drum up interest, there are worrying reports that the film could mark the end of the SSU’s live-action projects for now, following a series of failed releases.

The review embargo for Kraven the Hunter has been lifted, and the early reviews are not promising. With an 11% approval rating from 35 reviews, the movie is officially considered “rotten.” Critics are mostly negative, saying the film could have brought more dignity to the Spider-Man Universe but falls short.

While the performances of Aaron Taylor-Johnson and others are praised, they are held back by a weak script. The movie suffers from a messy plot, poor visual effects, and a confusing tone, as it struggles to decide if it should be dramatic or comedic.

The lack of clear direction makes the film feel tired and unengaging, with some critics even calling it one of the worst of the non-Spider-Man films in the universe.

The real tragedy surrounding “Kraven the Hunter” isn’t that it promises a future that will never be, but that it could’ve allowed itself and the universe to which it belongs to go out with some dignity.

Bill Bria, The Wrap

Chandor and Aaron Taylor Johnson deserve better, frankly, but they also both read this screenplay and still signed on. They push beyond the boundaries that have been set up for them, but they can only do so much.

Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist

We don’t know whether Kraven the Hunter is truly the final bow of the SSMU. It is undoubtedly a self-inflicted killshot.

David Fear, Rolling Stone

It’s tough to state that this is the worst of the not-quite-Spider-Man batch, but it’s darn close, as the whole movie is one big mess trying to stand up straight as a superhero epic.

Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com

A clunky, crowded script, muddy visual effects, and glaringly obvious ADR bog down a promising premise. It’s not camp enough to become a cult classic, and it lacks the conviction to carry its most ambitious ideas to the finish line.

Lyvie Scott, Inverse

This all feels a long way from Chandor’s glory days of Margin Call and All Is Lost. Save the occasional flourish, Kraven The Hunter is limp, tired, uninvolving superhero fare.

Ian Freer, Empire Magazine

It’s a largely joyless affair, and can’t seem to decide on a dramatic or comedic tone, let alone a blend of the two… Rarely has a superhero movie featured this many talented performers phoning it in. But with such bland material, can you blame them?

Siddhant Adlakha, Polygon

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