KRAVEN THE HUNTER : Tuesday 17th December 2024

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'KRAVEN THE HUNTER' earlier this week, and this American Superhero film features the Marvel Comics characters of the same name and is the sixth film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe. It is Directed by J.C. Chandor who made his feature film making debut with 'Margin Call' in 2011 and would follow this up with 'All Is Lost' in 2013, 'A Most Violent Year' in 2014, and 'Triple Frontier' in 2019. The film was released here in Australia and the US last week, cost a reported circa US$120M to produce, has so far grossed US$29M worldwide and has garnered generally negative critical reviews. Apparently, earlier this month and following the projected financial failure of the film, it was reported that 'Kraven the Hunter' would be the final film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, ending any chance for a sequel or crossover film, although one well known publication stated that this will not be the last film in the franchise . . . . . so who do you believe?

The film opens up with a convoy of prison vehicles driving along a snow covered landscape deep inside Siberia. The convoy comes to halt at a fuel stop so that the prisoners can relieve themselves before continuing their onward journey. One of the prisoners is Sergei Kravinoff aka Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who is assigned a cell with a mean looking MoFo of a man. Kravinoff tells his fellow inmate to give him just three days before he escapes. The next day Kraven is brought to the attention of Seymon Chorney (Yuri Kolokolnikov) a Russian crime lord and fellow inmate, after he successfully overpowers two of Chorney's henchmen in the exercise yard. Chorney asks Kraven who he is, to which comes the reply that he is the Hunter, with Chorney responding that it's just a myth. Within a minute Chorney and his two henchmen are dead, stabbed with the tooth of a lion which Kraven plucked from a lion skin rug on the floor. Kraven then makes his escape through the prison effortlessly clambering up walls, running along roof tops, jumping barbed wire fences, and evading a hail of bullets from the prison guards. Once outside he runs into a snow storm in which is waiting an aircraft to transport him back home. 

We then back track sixteen years, and following the death of his mother, Sergei Kravinoff (Levi Miller), along with his half-brother Dmitri Smerdyakov (Billy Barratt), are taken out of school by their father Nikolai (Russell Crowe) to prepare to take over his drug trafficking operations. During a hunting trip in Tanzania, Sergei is mortally wounded protecting his brother from a legendary apex lion. Almost dead from the savage mauling, he is found by a girl named Calypso (Diaana Babnicova), who, having been forewarned by her grandmother that she would intervene in an accident very soon and give its victim great power, heals him with a serum gifted by her grandmother, and calls for rescue, leaving a tarot card in the hands of an unconscious Sergei. A few days later Sergei comes around in a hospital bed having been officially pronounced dead for three minutes, but now appears to be fighting fit. Nikolai discharges his son from hospital and the three return to their grand home on the outskirts of London. Nikolai reveals he killed the lion to teach his sons a lesson about showing no fear, and in his world it is very much survival of the fittest. Sergei, meanwhile having discovered his physical attributes have become animal like, becomes sickened by his father's actions and his intentions for his sons, and retreats to a sanctuary his mother owned in the remote wilderness of eastern Russia, leaving Dmitri behind to fend for himself.

Fast forwarding to the present day and Kraven travels to London for Dmitri's (Fred Hechinger) birthday, which he does every year. Unable to sleep that night on the sofa of Dmitri's lavish apartment, he goes for a walk falling asleep in the park outside Dmitri's building. He wakens the next day and goes back up to the apartment to find Dmitri gone and blood stains on his pillow and bed sheets. Dmitri had been captured by mercenaries, and when Nikolai refuses to pay the US$20M ransom, Kraven tracks down Calypso (Ariana DeBose), now working as an investigative lawyer in London, and convinces her to help track down his brother's kidnappers. 

Meanwhile, Dmitri is met by his kidnappers' boss Aleksei Sytsevich (Alessandro Nivola) who took part in an experiment spearheaded by a cutting edge New York doctor, granting him the strength and outward appearance of a rhinoceros which he is able to control by way of a back pack containing a serum which continually drip feeds via a tube into his lower side. When he unplugs the tube, he turns into Rhino but says the process is extremely painful. Aleksei proposes an alliance to overthrow Nikolai, but upon discovering Kraven's connection to Dmitri, Aleksei lures him to an abandoned monastery in Turkey, with the intention of taking out Kraven there, but he survives the ambush. 

Aleksei is then approached by the Foreigner (Christopher Abbott), an assassin who uses ocular hypnosis to disorientate his targets, with an offer to kill Kraven, having carefully studied his modus operandi for years. Tracking Kraven and Calypso to his sanctuary in eastern Russia and using Dmitri as bait, Aleksei and the Foreigner ambush Kraven. Drugging him with neurotoxin, the Foreigner attacks Kraven and is successful in overpowering and paralysing him but just as he is standing over Kraven and about to pull the trigger of the gun pointed at his head Calypso kills him with an arrow straight in to his eye, and revives Kraven with a vile of the serum. Kraven then uses a buffalo stampede to trap Aleksei, who, despite turning into the Rhino and briefly overpowering him, is killed. 

Having determined that Nikolai was the one who revealed his existence to Aleksei, Kraven tracks his father down to a snow covered Siberian forest for answers. There in the dead of night Nikolai states that he knew Aleksei was targeting him and manipulated his sons to remove him. Kraven refuses to kill his father and turns his back on him and as he walks away he drops the ammunition he unloaded from his fathers shotgun on the ground just as Nikolai is attacked and killed by a bear. 

One year later on the occasion of Dmitri's birthday, Kraven again visits his brother in London. Dmitri in the meantime has gained shapeshifting abilities from the doctor who experimented on Aleksei, and after discovering this new found ability disowns Kraven, stating that despite his claims of being morally superior, he and Nikolai were the same - big game hunters searching for their next big trophy. Dmitri demonstrates this to Kraven by changing his appearance before becoming chameleon like and then changing back to his natural appearance. 

At his family home, Kraven comes across a note left for him by Nikolai along with a vest made from the skin and the mane of the killed lion that mauled Sergei when he was young, which he puts on, and takes a seat in front of a mirror.

'Kraven the Hunter' is not a bad film, but it's also not that good either. The plot is fairly thin on the ground, the action set pieces are well enough choreographed, but the CGI is left wanting and sub-par for a film costing well north of US$100M, and, nothing that we haven't already seen before. The dialogue is also pretty lame, and the only saving grace is in the performances of Taylor-Johnson, Crowe, Nivola and DeBose, with the latter being given too little screen time and too little to contribute. J.C. Chandor whose previous film output has been far far better, has crafted a film that seems to have had too much studio and Producer interference, resulting in a film that is sure to disappear into the annals of mediocrity and leaving Sony's Spider-Man Universe to bow out on a whimper.

'Kraven the Hunter' merits two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK : Tuesday 9th November 2021

I saw 'THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK' earlier this week at my local independent movie theatre, and this MA15+ Rated American crime drama story is Directed by Alan Taylor whose previous film making credits take in his debut 'Palookaville' in 1995, 'The Emperor's New Clothes' in 2001, 'Thor : The Dark World' in 2013 and 'Terminator : Genisys' in 2015. In the meantime he has also Directed multiple episodes of 'Homicide : Life on the Street', 'Sex and the City', 'The Sopranos' and 'Game of Thrones'. Co-Written by and based on characters created by David Chase this film serves as a prequel to Chase's HBO crime drama series 'The Sopranos', and takes place during the 1960's and '70's in Newark, New Jersey. The film has garnered largely positive critical acclaim, has so far recouped US$12M off the back of a US$50M production budget, saw its World Premier showcasing at the Tribeca Film Festival in late September and went to general release in the US on 1st October along with a month-long simultaneous release on HBO Max. 

In 1967 a young Tony Soprano (William Ludwig) is travelling with his uncle and mentor Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola) to greet Dickie's fathers 'Hollywood' Dick Moltisanti (Ray Liotta) off a cruise ship with his new young Italian bride in tow Giuseppina (Michela De Rossi). Moltisanti in a 'soldier' in the DiMeo crime family which comprises of Johnny Soprano (Jon Bernthal) and his brother Junior (Corey Stoll) amongst others. Over dinner later that evening with the newlyweds, Dickie and his wife Joanne (Gabriella Piazza), Dickie can hardly tear his eyes away from Giuseppina. 

A few days later a black taxi driver is unceremoniously dragged out of his cab and set upon by two uniformed white Police Officers which sparks the Newark riots of mid-July 1967. One of Dickie's black henchmen, Harold McBrayer (Leslie Odom Jnr.) takes part in the riots by throwing a molotov cocktail at a Police patrol car which erupts in a ball of flame. Harold kills a young black man, Leon Overall (Mason Bleu) stealing from their business, forcing him to escape the heat to North Carolina. Before leaving, he asks Dickie for a loan of US$1,000 saying that he will repay it, but instead Dickie gives him US$500 as a gift.

Later, at a carnival, Tony witnesses Johnny and Junior being arrested. Subsequently, Johnny is sentenced to four years in prison for assault with a deadly weapon. During an argument, Hollywood Dick kicks Giuseppina down a flight of stairs in their home. Dickie, in speaking with a downtrodden Giuseppina the next day finds out. He confronts his father later that night in the garage of their house, and an argument breaks out with the pair seated in the front of the car. The argument turns into a physical altercation where Dickie repeatedly slams his fathers head against the steering wheel in a fit of rage, accidentally killing him. He moves the body into the passenger seat and drives the vehicle through the riot torn streets to one of his father's businesses, douses the lifeless body and the building with petrol and sets it alight to make it look like it was destroyed in the riots. Wracked by guilt, Dickie visits his father's twin brother, Salvatore 'Sally' Moltisanti (Ray Liotta) who is serving a life sentence behind bars for the murder of another made man in his own family. Dickie's says he wants to do a 'good deed' hence his wanting to strike up a relationship with Sally, which his father had previously always forbidden. Dickie also starts a relationship with Giuseppina as his mistress. Meanwhile Tony has been suspended from school for starting up an illegal gambling operation, and so Dickie makes him swear a pinkie promise to do the right thing and follow the rules. 

We then fast forward four years to 1972, and Johnny is released from prison and Harold returns to Newark because the prosecuting Police Officer died and the case just dropped by the wayside. Harold starts up his own black-led criminal operation and begins by killing one of Dickie's men and stealing their protection money. Giuseppina has an affair with Harold after a fight with Dickie. Dickie and his crew locate one of Harold's crew, Cyril (Germar Terrell Gardner) in an auto repair shop late at night and torture him using an impact wrench to the mouth to gain the name of the man who ordered the hit, and then kill him. Before he died, Cyril blurted out Harold's name. In retaliation for Cyril's death, Harold and his gang engage in a drive-by shooting with Johnny's crew, during which one is killed. Harold and Dickie have a standoff, but they flee the scene when they hear Police sirens approaching.

After Tony (Michael Gandolfini) steals the answers for a school exam, the school counsellor tells Tony's mother, Livia (Vera Farmiga), that he has a high IQ and that on the Myers–Briggs scale he demonstrates the personality traits of a leader. The counsellor also tells Livia how Tony told her about a time in which his mother hugged him after his father was committed to prison and read to him from a book until he fell asleep and how it was one of his best memories ever. The next day, Livia tries to show her affection for Tony by cooking him up a burger for his dinner, but she mentions how her Doctor wanted to prescribe her antidepressants. When Tony suggests taking it, she retaliates against him. Tony subsequently asks Dickie if he could get the drug Elavil for his mother, but Dickie is reluctant.

Following the wake of Johnny's man who was shot and killed in the drive by shooting, Junior slips and falls on the rain soaked steps of the church. This results in Dickie laughing out loud uncontrollably in his face at his pain and suffering, so infuriating Junior. Dickie reconnects with Giuseppina and promises her a beauty parlour for her to run as a business joint venture between them but he acting as a silent partner and completely hands-off. This is her dream come true. During a walk on the beach, she confesses to her affair with Harold. Dickie is so besides himself with rage that he drowns her in the ocean. Dickie again visits Sally, who says that everyone close to Dickie ends up dead eventually. He goes on to say that the best Christmas present he could give to Tony, is to stay out of his life. Dickie listens to Sally's advice and begins to avoid Tony, refusing to see him or answer his calls. 

Later that night, one of Dickie's henchmen Silvio (John Magaro) encourages Dickie to reconcile with Tony, and Dickie relents and agrees to a catch-up at a local cafe the next morning at 9:00am, before the planned hit on Harold at 10:00am having learned where he is staying. However, before he can arrive home, Dickie is shot in the back of the head by an unknown assailant while unpacking Christmas gifts from the trunk of his car. Junior is seen later limping across the street to answer a ringing payphone. The voice at the other end simply says 'it's done' and hangs-up. The next morning at 9:00am Tony is waiting patiently at the cafe for Dickie to arrive, which of course he never does. At Dickie's wake, it is revealed that Dickie did acquire the Elavil for Tony, and had it in his pocket when he was killed. Tony looks despondently down at Dickie's corpse and imagines another pinkie promise with him, like the two had done all those years ago. Some time later, Harold has moved into a white neighbourhood, his organised crime operation reaping its rewards. 

For someone who has never seen a single episode of 'The Sopranos' I was neither wowed or disappointed by 'The Many Saints of Newark', but I was expecting more development of the young Tony Soprano and the experiences, influences, motivations and emotions that made him into the character that would become the leader of a criminal organisation. Instead what we get at the end is a young mid-teenage lad Tony Soprano, on the edge of adulthood, who could go either way - down the straight and narrow, or into a life of underworld crime - the jury is still out on that one, or maybe that was the whole intention! What we do get however, is a more intimate look inside the world of Tony's favourite Uncle Dickie Moltisanti, from his rise up the ranks as a result of the death/murder of his father, the murder of his mistress, the relationship with his fathers twin brother, his clashing with Harold, to his untimely death orchestrated by Junior with only fleeting glimpses of his influences over Tony. And how does Dickie explain away the death of his mistress, known to many of his cohort, who was last seen drifting away in the ocean? As a stand alone movie this works fine, but 'Goodfellas', 'The Godfather', 'The Irishman', 'Carlito's Way' or a whole host of other American mobster films you care to mention, this ain't. Perhaps as a three or four part mini-series this could have worked better with greater emphasis placed on the development of the young and impressionable Tony Soprano. The casting is however, spot on with special mention going to Alessandro Nivola, Ray Liotta and Michael Gandolfini who really carry the film through every scene. 

'The Many Saints of Newark' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-