‘Kraven The Hunter’ is a lesson in what it takes to be comic book accurate in a movie

Image: Sony Pictures Releasing, Marvel Comics and Marvel Entertainment

(Editor’s note: The following entertainment article contains several spoilers for the movie “Kraven The Hunter.”)

A world that exists on its own, a reality that is theirs, and a movie that made me believe in what it would be like to see Marvel Comics as a real world through the eyes of its most legendary hunter, Kraven.

To say that I am happy with how the major onscreen characters here (Kraven the Hunter, Calypso, and The Chameleon) were adapted for the big screen is an understatement. Never in a million years did I think they could flawlessly execute the origin stories of all three infamous Spider-Man super-villains, especially the first and last one, The Chameleon, who, for the uninitiated, is one of the oldest villains of the “Web-Crawler,” dating back to the early 1960s. And yes, he does look alien-like when he is not morphing or shape-shifting to resemble another person.

Voodoo, mysticism, espionage, action, adventure and, lastly, real life-like super-villains are present in the world of Kraven The Hunter. This is a pleasant surprise because he is not the only one with a unique set of extraordinary abilities. These powers not only honor his comic book origins but are also showcased throughout the movie when he uses them. Everything from cat-like reflexes, a version of night vision similar to that of big cats, the speed of a gazelle, the strength of a large game animal, and his animal-like instincts for survival was a delight to see! Yes, of course, the brutality was there; Kraven The Hunter was ruthless in how he disposed of his prey, targets and, most importantly, his enemies. This was next-level violence that I had only read about and seen in the latest incarnations of Kraven The Hunter in Marvel Comics since the original has been dead for decades.

By the way, I want to add this: Kraven the Hunter is one of only two legendary Spider-Man villains, the other being the Green Goblin. Spider-Man learns to be more tactical, cunning, and a bit more unpredictable in his future battles and feuds with other super-villains because of his encounters with Kraven. In each battle, as long as Spider-Man survives, Kraven always teaches him a lesson in warfare and offers a tip or two. This is because Kraven straddles the fine line between being an anti-hero and a super-villain.

As a comic book collector and reader for over 30 years, I first encountered Kraven The Hunter in a Spider-Man comic decades ago. It was an old comic, but still in good condition. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. Still, I found his outfit—complete with a lion mane, a vest resembling a lion’s face, and his weapons—distinctive compared to the other foes and super-villains that The Amazing Spider-Man has faced throughout his career. Seeing a younger version of Kraven on the big screen, already on his way to becoming the legend he is, felt fitting. In the original Marvel Comics, Kraven The Hunter was a seasoned game hunter, having been through many challenges and at his peak — not just in his prime. Witnessing the early stages it took for him to become the legendary hunter he was, was a treat for me.

People need to understand, especially casual moviegoers and those unfamiliar with these legendary Spider-Man villains (Kraven The Hunter, Rhino, Calypso, and the Chameleon), that I truly believe the movie studio did their best to bring them to life in scenarios, situations and, most importantly, origin stories that are not only plausible but also realistic. Although their origins have been slightly altered, the essence and authenticity remain intact, and the results speak for themselves. They did a great job!

While I was sitting quietly and watching the movie, I found it both amusing and, frankly, sad that many people in the cinema, judging by their immediate knee-jerk reactions to super-villains like Calypso, Rhino, and especially The Chameleon, seemed to have no clue who the first and last super-villains I mentioned were. Most appeared baffled or assumed the movie was creating entirely new characters. However, that is not the case; these characters are faithful adaptations of their comic book counterparts, and what we saw on the big screen is a testament to Sony’s effort to bring them to life as realistically as possible.

For me, the challenges that movie studios face today can be reduced if they trust their instincts, conduct thorough research, and respect the comic book origins of their characters. This means they should either be familiar with the characters from Marvel Comics or do the necessary studying if they are not. If they have clear objectives for what they want to achieve, they can minimize or even eliminate the need for test screenings, reshoots, and release delays. This is especially true in the case of “Kraven The Hunter,” which faced negativity and skepticism long before its release date and official trailers were shown. Many people wanted it to fail, spreading negativity and undermining the goodwill of those who just wanted to enjoy it on the big screen. My message to all movie studios: Ignore the haters!

My hat goes off to Sony because, as I mentioned in one of my previous entertainment articles, their movies have an early-to-mid 2000s feel, which I have always found important. It was during those years that the superhero boom in movies took off and became a worldwide phenomenon. In “Kraven The Hunter,” it is no different; for me, this movie could have been shown back then, and I would still have enjoyed it.