Early reactions to the new Kraven the Hunter trailer have not been kind. The movie appears to be plagued by the same self-seriousness that doomed another Spider-villain’s effort, Morbius, whose tone quickly reduced it to an internet joke despite actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s obvious physical attributes. Due to its lead character’s ability to speak with animals, which is similar to Jim Carrey’s humorous detective in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, the Kraven film has been compared to that comedy. The film’s redeeming virtue may possibly lie in the comparison. Marketing can easily make a movie appear to be something it isn’t, and Sony’s upper management is clearly dedicated to the questionable notion of making a standalone picture for each Spider-Man villain. The two Venom films, especially the follow-up Venom: Let There Be Carnage, embrace the campy possibilities of their subject matter and managed to avoid the criticism Morbius faced. Kraven the Hunter may use the same strategy, which the marketers would like to keep a secret. If so, the analogies to Ace Ventura may be very accurate.
It’s easy to understand Sony’s error with the Spider-Man films. Over the past ten years, it has made an effort to establish a somewhat distinct superhero world despite having the IP rights to only one hero and his supporting cast. Though the animated Spider-Verse movies have taken up the ball and run with it, the hope for that was mostly dashed with the average box office performance of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Despite Spidey’s success under Tom Holland and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony continues to make live-action villain films to largely mixed results. At least Let There Be Carnage seems to recognise the foolishness of the endeavour. The greatest aspects of Venom’s less-than-successful formula are highlighted by director Andy Serkis, most notably the unlikely marriage of Eddie Brock and the murderous space parasite that grants him his abilities. With a memorable cameo by Tom Hardy at the middle of the credits, Spider-Man: No Way Home also captures that vigour. With the help of Hardy’s engaging performance and several genuinely humorous scenes in the early half of the film, the ensuing feeling of knowing camp gives it a suitably outrageous energy. Before entering a third act that is more predictable, it battles to hold onto that edge. Morbius, who is always po-faced, fails to learn that it is far more interesting when it embraces its own ridiculousness.
Ace Ventura emphasises the titular character’s special affection with animals, which gives Carrey a launchpad for his manic physical humour. The teaser suggests a confrontation between Russell Crowe’s character, who plays Kraven’s game-hunting father, and Kraven because of their shared affinity for the outdoors. The two characters have more than a passing affinity for one another since Ventura harbours a similar grudge against hunters and poachers. That indicates Morbius levels of difficulty since, assuming Kraven the Hunter takes itself seriously, he has already turned into a joke. But as Let There Be Carnage implies, there may be another way. Kraven the Hunter may achieve the same level of bonkers nuttiness as its predecessor by emphasising the character’s more cartoonish traits. If so, the Ace Ventura overtones are probably intentional, and what the trailer presents as a serious look at the character may actually be something more self-effacing.
There could even be comic book material to support it. Before the ground-breaking Kraven’s Last Hunt saga, Kraven was viewed as a bit of a joke among Spider-Man’s adversaries. Playing up his more humorous side might pave the way for a similar movie plot in the future while also providing for a more enjoyable experience this time. Depending on how much the film leans into it, Ace Ventura may very well be a stepping stone towards such a development. The only uncertainty is how closely the trailer corresponds to the finished product.
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