Kraven The Hunter: First Reactions Are Not Good

The first reactions for Sony Marvel’s Kraven the Hunter are in, and they’re not good.

I’ve been going over how most first reactions are overwhelmingly positive, so take that for what it’s worth, but this time around, the reviews are pretty bad.

Presently, with 40 reviews, Kraven the Hunter has a 15% Rotten Tomatoes Score, which is right in line with Morbius and nearly as bad as Madame Web‘s 11%.

Box office projections also offer the flick will be a massive bomb, on the level of Madame Web, possibly lower at $13 million, and it’s said it looks as if Sony is done doing Marvel Spidey spinoff movies and instead will focus on Spider-Man.

Check out the positive and negative reactions below.

What do the positive reviews say?

Of the 40 reviews, only five are positive:

… a fun little leopard-print action-crime flick … – FILMINK

I bet that, reading this, you’re thinking I will give this movie a bad rating, and you’re wrong. I was entertained by this movie, not in a “it’s so bad it’s good” but legitimately. In a world without Spider-Man, Lion-Man will save us all! – RIOTUS

Kraven the Hunter isn’t going to be anyone’s favorite comic book movie. What it is, though, is still respectable. You can do much worse than a propulsive action flick with a ridiculous premise and a lot of fun supporting characters. -But Why Tho? A Geek Community –

I had a great time! Some very nice easter eggs for comic book fans, and casual moviegoers are likely to enjoy the performances across the board. If you enjoyed the first Venom, you should enjoy this movie as well. – Grace Randolph

Entertaining. Violence with no slack on brutality – jaw-dropping in every sense. While the plot isn’t airtight, unexpected comedic moments hit surprisingly well. – Big Gold Belt Media

What do the negative reviews say?

The reviews for Kraven the Hunter are overwhelmingly negative, painting the film as a lifeless and disjointed mess. Critics highlighted its clunky script, laughably bad CGI (notably the animal effects), cringe-worthy dialogue, and lackluster performances, even from its acclaimed cast. Many noted the film’s failure to balance its tones, with some calling it dull, uninspired, and directionless. Comparisons to past superhero flops like Catwoman and criticisms of its lack of depth and cohesion were common. Despite hints of unintentional humor or guilty-pleasure potential, the film ultimately fails to deliver the excitement or quality expected of the genre, with several reviewers suggesting it represents a low point for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.

A few from the Top Critics:

As the last movie in Sony’s Universe of Spider-Man villains, Kraven the Hunter couldn’t have closed things out on a more pathetic note. This isn’t like Madame Web where you can at least laugh at how bad it is. Just a total waste of time. – Discussing Film

The movie is so vacuous, so bereft of life in spite of its many desperate and quality actors trying to quicken the cadaver with wasted energy, that it eerily resembles the cobbled together emptiness of the worst 2000s superhero time-wasters. – Den of Geek

Kraven suffers from cringe-worthy dialogue, hysterically bad special effects (the water buffaloes have the look of a Lindt Milk Chocolate Holiday Bunny), and some embarrassingly poor performances from Academy Award-winning and otherwise respected actors. – InSession Film

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. – The Wrap

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. – Empire Magazine

When does Kraven the Hunter open?

Kraven the Hunter opens Friday, December 12, 2024 and on Thursday with previews. J.C. Chandor is the director.