Kraven: The Hunter (Telugu) Review

Sony's Spider-Man Universe takes another detour, this time focusing on Kraven The Hunter, a lesser-known Marvel antagonist, as it attempts to mold him into a tragic antihero. The idea is novel and promising, as few Marvel fans would have envisioned Kraven's transformation in this way, but the end product feels like a hollow growl in the wilderness.

Macho druglord Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe) drags his sons Sergei (Levi Miller) and Dmitri (Billy Barratt) to the African wilds for a manhood-forging hunt. A confrontation with a lion leaves Sergei gravely injured, only to be miraculously revived by the same lion's blood and a potion gifted by a mysterious girl named Calypso (Ariana DeBose). This experience transforms him, imbuing him with heightened animal instincts.

When he later comes to know that his father has killed that lion, he severes his relationship with his father. Years later, an adult Sergei (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) stalks poachers and hunts them under the moniker Kraven, embracing his new identity as protector of the wild. But his vengeful path crosses with mob boss Aleksei Sytsevich (Alessandro Nivola) aka The Rhino, who is equally powerful and determined to hunt The Hunter (Kraven).

Kraven The Hunter straddles an awkward line between character-driven drama and CGI-laden spectacle. The film begins with promise, weaving familial tension among the Kravinoffs with the delicate touch of Shakespearean tragedy. Crowe's Nikolai exudes patriarchal dominance, his words carrying the weight of tradition and harsh love. Yet, the story abandons any intrigue midway, including the promising thread showcasing the struggle for succession of the Kravinoff empire, transforming instead into a disjointed series of savage action sequences with little connective tissue. The narrative stumbles, resembling a patchwork of violent vignettes more suited for a TV series than a feature film.

The characters too are poorly fleshed out. Sytsevich's Rhino feels more like a Saturday morning cartoon villain, his intimidating presence squandered by poor CGI and anticlimactic reveals. And The Foreigner (Christopher Abbott) emerges halfway through with hypnotic powers but feels like an afterthought - less a narrative necessity and more a checklist entry.

Despite an inconsistent Russian accent, Russell Crowe delivers a grizzled intensity that anchors the film's emotional core. His presence looms large, and he displays an oppressive masculinity that shapes the fractured relationship between the Kravinoff brothers. Fred Hechinger's Dmitri brings vulnerability and a quiet charm to an otherwise bleak narrative. His portrayal hints at years of abuse, shrouded by a brotherly warmth that offers a brief respite.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Kraven, unfortunately, struggles to command the same presence. His performance is serviceable but is barely memorable, eclipsed by his co-stars' nuanced portrayals. Ariana DeBose's Calypso is reduced to a mystical guide figure, her talents undercut by thin characterization and lacklustre dialogue. Nivola and Abbott lean into their roles but are ultimately shackled by weak material.

For a film with a reported $130 million budget, Kraven The Hunter often feels startlingly scraggy. The CGI lions and wolves lack texture, their presence unconvincing even in dimly lit sequences. The scenes involving the main antagonist Aleksei's transformation into The Rhino look cheap and choppy. The fight scenes suffer from jarring editing, with rapid cuts diminishing the brutality. The film's visual palette - gritty and muted - does little to elevate the action, instead blending into a forgettable blur of blood and dirt.

Benjamin Wallfisch's score injects brief moments of grandeur, swelling at the right beats but ultimately overshadowed by lacklustre sound design. Worse still, the ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement from Russian to English) is glaringly off in multiple scenes, creating awkward audio-visual dissonance that disrupts your immersion. Even the costume design falters, with DeBose's conspicuously synthetic wigs standing out as an unfortunate distraction.

Kraven The Hunter's attempt at grittiness and R-rated violence feels less like a creative choice and more like a desperate attempt to differentiate itself from previous Sony-Marvel misfires such as Venom 3. It's made to be R-rated for the sake of it. Despite Crowe's effort and fleeting glimpses of compelling family drama, the film collapses under the weight of poor direction, disjointed storytelling and subpar visual effects.

Only ardent Marvel fans may extract some enjoyment from this movie, but casual viewers are better off waiting until this hunter finds a spot in the discount bin - OTT.