Sergei Kravinov (Aaron Taylor Johnson) doesn’t have the best relationship with his father Nikolai (Russell Crowe). First of all, dear old dad left his son for dead during a hunting trip to Africa, which resulted in Sergei gaining enhanced senses, superpowers, and an almost mystical relationship with the animal world. Things get even worse when Sergei rejects his father’s criminal lifestyle, which leads to Nikolai hiring the gangsters “Foreigner” (Christopher Abbott) and the rhinoceros (Alessandro Nivola) to finally bring down his son.
Kraven the Hunter is the best of Sony’s Spider-Man-adjacent universe, which also includes bombshells Madam Web and the three Poison Films. That’s admittedly a low hurdle, but Kraven manages to do it through a mix JC ChandorThe energetic direction and the surprisingly well-cast cast, who have as much fun putting on strong Russian accents as their many deadly weapons.
Decked out in leopard skins, leather vests, incredible abs, and ’70s porn star facial hair, Taylor-Johnson is clearly having the time of his life in the role of an antihero who eventually becomes one of Spidey’s most fearsome foes. It’s a shame he’ll never actually meet him, though – that movie bombed so badly that it pretty much ended the Spidey villain franchise for good.
