Kraven the Hunter manages to lower the already abysmal bar of Sony’s extended Spider-Man Universe. The film is a mess from start to finish, with its most glaring issue being the choppy editing. Scenes jump from one location to another with no explanation, leaving the audience confused and disoriented. It’s as if someone hit the “shuffle” button on the timeline in the editing room.
While no one wants to sit through a film stuffed with exposition, Kraven swings too far in the opposite direction, offering virtually none. Characters’ motivations and decisions are left frustratingly unclear, making it hard to care about their arcs—or even understand them.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson does his best with what little he’s given, but even his efforts are undermined by laughable CGI and a script that gives him almost nothing to work with. Meanwhile, Russell Crowe delivers a bizarre performance that feels like a sequel to his forgettable turn as Dr. Jekyll from The Mummy. It’s baffling and completely out of place.
And let’s be honest, the extended Spider-Man Universe has been on life support for years. Between the Venom films’ hit-or-miss tone, the disaster that was Morbius and Madame Webb, and now Kraven, this cinematic universe feels like a string of misguided experiments. If Kraven is the final nail in the coffin, it’s more of a mercy killing than a tragedy.
Save your money and your time—this is one hunt you don’t want to join.
