Movie Reviews
The Intense Action Makes Up for a Convoluted Storyline in Kraven the Hunter (Review)
The scenes were anticlimactic and resembled a Spider-Man sensation – instead being bitten by a spider and “with great power comes great responsibility”, Kraven is bitten by a lion and “power is about strength”. However, Russell Crowe’s rendition of a Russian crime lord and demanding father were menacing. For the most part, Aaron Taylor-Johnson held the movie together through wild animal style fighting scenes with a hint of dark sophisticated essence.
Early in the film, Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) demonstrates his superhuman strength in the prison scene, similar to another Marvel character Sabretooth from X-Men. During his escape, he finds himself locking eyes with a wolf in the midst of the snowstorm. The piercing stare gives the indication that Kraven has a spiritual connection with animals, which should be pleasing for animal enthusiasts. The flashback into the earlier years did not provide much background on the Russian crime lord Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), merely that he is a demanding resentful father towards his sons Sergei “Kraven” (Levi Miller) and Dmitri (Billy Barratt). It seemed not much effort was placed in what should be an important key factor; when the young Sergei locks eyes with a ferocious lion, and the predictable outcome of how he obtained the animalistic superpowers from a magical potion given to him by a young Calypso Ezili (Diaana Babnicova), who undramatically runs to his rescue out of nowhere.
The scene abruptly cuts to present day; an adult Sergei, now Kraven, eliminates a poacher and his boss. This scene gives a boost of adrenaline, but quickly fades. The storyline gets muddled when Kraven teams up with adult Calypso (Ariana DeBose) to get justice on a list of corrupt individuals. The best action happens during the final scene – Kraven combating The Foreigner (Christopher Abbott) and Aleksei Sytsevich aka the Rhino (Alessandro Nivola). It gets intense with graphic action sequences – going back to the roots of Marvel Comics.
It was fun finding many Easter eggs connected to Spider-Man throughout the movie, from Kraven’s hallucinations with spiders to the mention of Miles Warren. The surprise twist revealing The Chameleon was a plus, better than watching Dmitri (Fred Hechinger) playing the piano and singing like Ed Sheeran.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson was good at delivering the grand image of Kraven. He does have the experience of playing a Marvel’s Avenger character, Pietro Maximoff – Quicksilver, under his belt. Although Kraven the Hunter did not have the elements of a successful Marvel film like Deadpool, it does have enough components to surpass Madam Web.
Movie Reviews
‘Wolf Man’ will have you howling in fear – Review
Talk about perfect timing to release a horror film, right after the first full moon of 2025, which is known as the wolf moon. Blumhouse is known to produce amazing horror movies without the large budget and granting directors the freedom of creativity. Wolf Man has all the right elements for delivering a fantastic terror thriller movie.
Director Leigh Whannell once again raises the bar for the new era of horror films. He knows how to get into the mind of the audience and lures them into a psychological nightmare. Whannell stuck with the Blumhouse tradition with the main plot being set in a home– a place where you typically consider to have a sense of security, a home sweet home feeling. Then, the terrifying atmosphere begins to set in as soon as rug is pulled from underneath you and the warm feeling is gone.
The storyline has a unique approach about a father-son-daughter relationship and mother- daughter relationship that applies the supernatural werewolf theme. Wolf Man has the ideal cast that were able to convert and adapt their characters gradually throughout the scenes. Christopher Abbott as Blake delivered an impressive performance, especially transforming from a subdued father to bring out his inner animal. Julia Garner as Charlotte, Blake’s wife, did well transforming from a city dweller to finding her grit to survive and protect her daughter, Ginger – played by adorable and witty Matilda Firth.
Whannell also used distinctive camera angles and styles that immerses the audience into Blake’s viewpoint when he is transitioning into a wolf man. The slow heavy breathing and deep low vibrating sound effects also added to the chilling experience. The make-up special effects department did an exceptional work with the disintegrating tissue and detaching limbs. There are plenty of gruesome scenes that will have you squirming and popping out of your seat, even pulling your hair. If you are familiar with Whannell’s work, you will even notice some references to Saw and M3GAN.
The ending did leave a bit of a cliffhanger. It will have your mind wondering and forming your own conclusions, a great way to make discussions with your movie companions. Wolf Man will be sure to satisfy the appetite of horror film fanatics.
Movie Reviews
Nick Frost’s new film ‘Get Away’ will having you second guess the next family vacation – Review
Synopsis
Written and starring the hilarious Nick Frost, ‘Get Away‘ puts a slight spin on previous horror films such as “Midsommar‘. You get everything from the humor to the gore that you expect from a Nick Frost film and there are some twists you won’t see coming. Catch it now on the Shudder streaming service and let us know what you think in the comments.
Synopsis: The Smith family’s much-needed vacation to the remote Swedish island of Svalta takes a dark turn when they arrive during preparations for a mysterious local festival that celebrates a dark history. Unsettled by the unfriendly locals and strange rituals, they try to make the best of their trip, stubbornly enjoying the island’s isolation and natural beauty. However, as the festival looms closer, the family realizes something far more sinister is unfolding—especially when they discover that a serial killer is on the loose.
Movie Reviews
‘V/H/S Beyond’ is a solid addition to the franchise – Review
From Shudder comes 6 all new short films that make up V/H/S Beyond. Directors Kate Siegel, Justin Martinez, Jay Cheel, Justin Long, Christian Long, Jordan Downey, and Virat Pal have compiled 6 very different yet effectively terrifying tales that make V/H/S Beyond a worthy addition to the franchise. See my instant reaction below.
SYNOPSIS: Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi-inspired hellscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense. From Directors Kate Siegel, Justin Martinez, Jay Cheel, Justin Long, Christian Long, Jordan Downey, and Virat Pal.
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