'Kraven the Hunter' Reviews: Film "eerily resembles the cobbled together emptiness of the worst 2000s superhero time-wasters"

         On December 13, 2024, Columbia Pictures released 'Kraven the Hunter', which has failed to impress critics, earning a score of 15% on Rotten Tomatoes along the way. "Kraven the Hunter is the action-packed, R-rated, standalone story of how one of Marvel's most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless gangster father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared." The ensemble cast includes Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, and Alessandro Nivola. But what did the critics say?

        Chris Bumbray of JoBlo's Movie Network notes, "It’s gotten to the point now that when you see the Sony logo before an “in association with Marvel” banner, you can’t help but cringe. The live-action films the studio has made based on Spider-Man’s rogues gallery have been pretty terrible, with Morbius and Madame Web ranking among the worst superhero films ever. The fact that the Venom trilogy was mediocre is something of a triumph for the beleaguered slate of films, but for a while now, the director of Kraven the Hunter, J.C. Chandor, has been promising this would be different. I went into the movie with decently high hopes, as I’d seen twenty minutes of footage a few weeks ago before interviewing Aaron Taylor-Johnson (look for our interview soon), and liked what I saw. I also think Chandor is a great director, having been a fan of all of his previous films, in particular A Most Violent Year and the underrated Triple Frontier. Sadly, the film is a total mess in a way the isolated bits of footage I saw earlier didn’t reveal. Like other movies in the Spider-Verse, it feels made by committee, with any of the interesting elements Chandor brings to the film having been washed away in a sea of re-shoots and (I presume) re-edits. The script is a mess, with it never clear just exactly why Kraven hunts down evildoers and if he profits from it (his sprawling jungle hideaway and private pilot makes it seem like he does), with it loaded with corny dialogue that I find it impossible to believe comes from the pen of co-screenwriter Richard Wenk (known to be a very solid scribe)."

       Jesse Hassenger of AV Club was more impressed, stating, "While all of the previous movies in this barely-series seemed scrambled together in a panic, Chandor’s movie seems scrambled together with a great deal of confidence and a bit of style."

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        Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru writes, "Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a hunter who gained superpowers as a teenager, breaks out of prison and seeks revenge against Rhino (Alessandro Nivola) and other gangsters who are trying to take over the Russian crime world that he dad, Nikolai (Russell Crowe), a Russian gangster, leads in Kraven the Hunter. The screenplay by Richard Wenk, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway is a convoluted, clunky and tedious mess that becomes increasingly preposterous and silly. The flashbacks are poorly integrated as they show the origins of Kraven's superpowers when he somehow obtained them after a lion bit him and a young girl gave him a magic potion to drink. He reunites with that girl, Calypso (Ariana DeBose), years later when she works as a lawyer. Before you know it, she joins him on his quest to battle Rhino and his sidekick (Christopher Abbott). The action scenes are poorly shot, the CGI effects are subpar and the editing feels choppy at times. Moreover, the dialogue is often stitled with some unintentionally funny lines that almost rival Madame Web, but not quite. Levi Miller plays the teenage version of Kraven while Fred Hechinger plays Kraven's estranged half-brother, Dmitri. Russell Crowe, Allessandro Nivola and Ariana DeBose deserve better material. If you could imagine Spider-Man crossed with John Wick minutes the pizzazz, thrills and fun, it would look something like this."

       David Crow of Den of Geek says, "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."

'Venom: The Last Dance' Divides Critics

         On October 25, 2024, 'Venom: The Last Dance' was released by Columbia Pictures, receiving a mixed reception from critics with a score of 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel's greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance." The ensemble cast includes Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alanna Ubach, and Rhys Ifans. But what did the critics say?

        Alonso Duralde of The Film Verdict says, "Narrative cinema rarely cares this little about actual narrative, transforming what’s supposed to be the concluding chapter of an ongoing saga into little more than pure sensation — blobs of color, bursts of sound." 

        Mike Massie of Gone With The Twins writes, "Why are all these random concepts drummed up on a whim, with no background, no rules, and no reasons? With such pitiful writing, it’s impossible to take any of the scenarios seriously." Adding, "It begins by introducing a random new villain with random allies, foiled by random betrayers, who create a random way of imprisoning that villain for what is supposed to be eternity. But, of course, they also devise a random way for him to escape, which means that he must pursue a random way of tracking down that ludicrously contrived loophole. None of this is explained with any sensible justifications; it’s the most generic of fantasy setups, hoping that by narrating it with an ominous voice and forbidding imagery (murky creatures scurrying through inky environs), audiences will just accept it as the way it is. It’s the absolute laziest and most pathetic way to kick off a premise. It is, however, right in line with the last couple of Venom features, so it’s far from unexpected. Skipping past some of the multiverse nonsense, Eddie again strikes up his exhausting schtick with the invasive symbiotic goo, like a more divided, less cohesive, less amusing version of Jim Carrey’s Stanley Ipkiss as he fights the comically anarchic forces of the Mask. And it’s still painfully unfunny."

       Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? A Geek Community was more impressed, stating, "While Venom: The Last Dance may be weaker than its predecessors (of which 2018’s Venom is the best), it’s still a good time, and you can tell leading man-turned-writer Tom Hardy is having one too." Concluding, "Hardy may not have embodied the villain we all expected through his run as the character, but he has brought chaotic fun and care to the character. It works, from leaning into fan service and the very funniest of AO3 shipping moments to the creativity of creating two completely different personalities portrayed by the same actor."

       Giovanni Lago of Next Best Picture notes, "We’ll miss watching Tom Hardy rock Hawaiian shirts, ride motorcycles, and argue with himself as Eddie Brock, but definitely not enough to have to sit through another one of these films again."

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'AfrAId' Reviews: "Viewers might think cheap A.I. could've made a better movie"

         On August 30. 2024, Columbia Pictures released 'AfrAId', which has earned a mixed reception from critics, currently holding at 29% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "Curtis (John Cho) and his family are selected to test a revolutionary new home device: a digital family assistant called AIA. Taking smart home to the next level, once the unit and all its sensors and cameras are installed in their home, AIA seems able to do it all. She learns the family's behaviors and begins to anticipate their needs. And she can make sure nothing -- and no one -- gets in her family's way." The ensemble cast includes Havana Rose Liu, River Drosche, Lukita Maxwell, and Katherine Waterston. But what did the critics say?

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        Carla Hay of Culture Mix writes, "The muddled and not-very-scary horror film Afraid has a dimwitted plot (about an A.I. device taking over people's lives) that falls apart by the time it stumbles to a very weak ending. Viewers might think cheap A.I. could've made a better movie." Adding, "Afraid” makes a very unconvincing attempt to get some empathy for AIA by making it look like AIA was programmed to protect her owners by any means necessary. There are mentions of AIA being able to “learn” human emotions. According to the movie, all she wants is to find a home where she is loved and wanted—because don’t you know that A.I. devices need love too?"

       Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru praises the film, stating, "Curtis (John Cho), a marketing executive, agrees to test a new smart home AI device with his wife, Meredith (Katherine Waterston),  son, Cal (Isaac Bae), and daughter, Preston (Wyatt Lindner), the device, called AIA (voice of Havana Rose Liu), takes control over their lives in AfrAId. The screenplay by writer/director Chris Weitz doesn't earn any points for originality, plausibility or imagination, but it does take its concept to dark territory while allowing the film to serve as a thrilling, timely and eye-opening cautionary tale about the dangers of AI. A subplot involving Preston dealing with a deepfaked image of her face transposed onto someone in a porn clip feels undercooked. However, it does raise awareness about the terrifying existence of deepfake. Although the dialogue lacks nuance, it does have a few instances of wit, i.e. when Meredith references HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey when Curtis brings AIA home. There's also a surprisingly moving scene where Meredith interacts with an AI version of her late father on the TV screen. AIA is clearly a double edged sword. If it were human, she'd be a classic narcissist who showers her victims with gifts to take control over them and makes their lives difficult when her victims want to end their relationship. Although the film's title is AfrAId, it's not a palpably scary horror film like T.I.M. nor a dark comedy like Meagan. The modicum of scares are more psychological in the sense that AIA has seemingly unlimited power and control. How far will she go? Fortunately, the third act, which won't be spoiled here, has an refreshingly unconventional twist up its sleeve which ends the film on an effectively chilling note. Katherine Waterston gives a heartfelt performance that breathes life into her role. John Cho is also well-cast here and gives a solid performance."

       Natalia Keogan of Paste Magazine says, "Making such an insubstantial film about one of our era’s greatest technological shifts isn’t just annoying. It feels downright irresponsible." Continuing, "It goes without saying that AIA is no HAL, and another irksome decision by Weitz rests in the machine’s inherent programming as either infantilized entity or matronly caretaker. Why should a synthetic organism subscribe to gender roles? (Again, questioning why so many of these “assistants” are personified as women could have asserted some sort of narrative integrity). The terrifying whims of a cold, calculated machine would have worked much better for the flimsy genre parameters of AfrAId, which in turn wouldn’t have the burden of engaging with the social influence that shapes modern AI initiatives."

       Leigh Monson of AV Club notes, "Almost entirely bloodless and with half a handful of kills, there just isn’t enough visceral terror to make up for the disparate, thematically muddied nonsense that’s been cobbled together into the shape of a movie. If a more fleshed-out version of this film did exist at some point, it was almost certainly deemed enough of a failure that the shorter runtime was the mercenary compromise necessary to eke out any hope of a return on investment. As much as we may wish to call this a monstrosity of artificial intelligence, its failures are unmistakably human."

       Benjamin Lee of Guardian was less impressed, stating, "There’s undeservedly good work here from Cho and Waterston, who work hard to make us believe them as a credible couple going through a heightened scenario but there’s so little time here for even partly fleshed out characters that they quickly become useless pawns, secondary to Weitz’s muddled theories on digital culture. As with so many tech thrillers that have come before, AfrAId is more concerned with being relevant than being entertaining."

'It Ends With Us' Reviews: "Justin Baldoni’s film adaptation uses an ace script and stellar performances -- particularly that of lead Blake Lively -- to elevate Colleen Hoover’s story to its cinematic peak"

         On August 9, 2024, Columbia Pictures releases 'It Ends With Us', which has received predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding fresh at 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, which is based on the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover, a woman that had a traumatic childhood must choose between her first love and her current boyfriend, a neurosurgeon that is comparable to that of her parents. The ensemble cast includes Blake Lively, Jenny Slate, Justin Baldoni, Hasan Minhaj, Amy Morton, and Brandon Sklenar. Read the full review round-up below.

        Jonathan Sim of ComingSoon.net writes, "The film’s theme of how abuse occurs in generational cycles is powerful as we see Lily’s aim to break the cycle that exists so commonly in the world. All we can do throughout is hope that it ends with her."

        Carla Hay of Culture Mix praises the film, stating, "Talented performances from the principal cast members give emotional resonance to the melodrama in It Ends With Us. This worthy book adaptation effectively shows how abuse and generational trauma can be toxic when mixed with love and loyalty." Continuing, "Alyssa and Marshall are the movie’s occasional comic relief on the surface. But the more sobering reality is that Alyssa and Marshall are so busy trying to impress people by doing their own version of curating the “perfect couple” image, they don’t see signs when people close to them might be hurting. There are complicated ways to look at what Alyssa and Marshall should or should not do, considering the fact that Lily and Ryle are adults who responsible for their own lives and their own choices. Lily’s mother Jenny represents the choices that people make to stay in an abusive relationship and how those decisions can affect children who are involved. Morton gives a wonderfully nuanced performance as a mother who is emotionally wounded and desperate for love and affection wherever she can get it—even if it means putting up with a loved one being awful to her. Jenny doesn’t fully comprehend or understand that Lily has been avoiding her partly out of resentment for Jenny staying in abusive marriage and partly because Jenny represents a past that Lily wants to forget."

         Lena Wilson of IGN Movies says, "It Ends with Us is an occasionally schlocky and saccharine novel, but Justin Baldoni’s film adaptation uses an ace script and stellar performances -- particularly that of lead Blake Lively -- to elevate Colleen Hoover’s story to its cinematic peak." Adding, "That’s not to say that this film isn’t, like its source material, occasionally ridiculous. It is. But you’re more likely to laugh your way through the ridiculousness than you are to cringe at it, and you might even catch yourself tearing up."

         Benjamin Lee of Guardian says, "It’s a plot of hackneyed soap tropes but there’s a real maturity to how it unfolds, a story of abuse that’s far less obvious than we’ve grown accustomed to, the details far knottier than some might be comfortable with." Concluding, "Taken with 2015’s Age of Adaline, an underrated high-concept sleeper of equally grand sentiment, Lively seems determined to reintroduce the kind of melodrama that we haven’t seen an awful lot of in recent years – or at least we haven’t seen it done as well as it is here. She’s a warm and instinctive performer and has distinct, effective chemistry with her two male leads (a younger version of her character, played by Isabela Ferrer, is an eerily perfect physical choice) as well as with her best friend, played by a winning Jenny Slate."

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‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ Reviews: “one of the wilder live-action, young-audience-friendly films in recent years”

        On August 2, 2024, Columbia Pictures released ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’, which has received a mixed reception from critics, currently holding at 36% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, the iconic book character enters the real world when he becomes an adult, leaving behind the pages of his book, discovering that his magical crayon can create more hijinks than anticipated. When his magical instrument is threatened, he must work with newfound friends to save not only the world of his book but ours. The ensemble cast includes Zachery Levi, Zoey Deschanel, Alfred Molina, Lil Rel Howery, Benjamin Bottani, and Jemaine Clement. But what did the critics say?

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        Jeff Ewing of Collider writes, “There are quite a few elements to like about Harold, including its smart casting, entertaining meta-concepts, and its ability to find humor in chaos, but it's a film with nearly as many conceptual, narrative, and thematic misses as hits.” Adding, “It's an interesting route to take for the live-action adaptation of a beloved children's book. Making the narrative a live-action entry following an adult Harold in our own world, the world of the series' author, does allow for a wider (and more cinematic) range of circumstances than merely the simple story of a boy using a crayon to draw things like animal friends out of thin air. It's additionally an interesting way to play with the implications of the purple crayon. First, in our real world, an overgrown child warping reality would create massive chaos and confusion, which is great for both humor and drama. Second, the books have a cartoon Harold creating objects that are a bit rougher in style and form than himself (his creations are in one color of crayon, after all), while his creations here are in our real world, permitting extravagant detail (though still purple as ever). Finally, it's a unique opportunity for Harold, a creator, to examine his own existence as a subordinate creation (it's an opportunity that the film doesn't make full use of, but the potential is there). All this makes Harold and the Purple Crayon one of the wilder live-action, young-audience-friendly films in recent years.”

Carla Hay of Culture Mix notes, “Harold and the Purple Crayon is as sloppy and muddled as someone doodling while drunk. This mishandled movie looks like a rejected TV show aimed at children, with most of the cast members looking embarrassed to be there.”

Linda Marric of HeyUGuys praises the film, stating, “This is a delightful adaptation that captures the magic of the beloved book while adding a fresh & vibrant perspective. It is a joyous celebration of imagination and creativity; a heartwarming & visually stunning film which leaves a lasting impression.”

Jack Martin of Film Feeder was less impressed, stating, “In a way, like the original book, it comes and goes through one ear and out the other, leaving little to no impact whatsoever, though this film doesn’t have the luxury of just being a handful of pages long.” Continuing, “From the naïve man-child of a main character taking regular sayings and mannerisms literally, to them befriending the child of an overworked parent – played, in this case, by Zooey Deschanel – who has lost their own imagination in some way, to a villain (who here is Jemaine Clement’s librarian and would-be fantasy author) who seeks to claim something precious to the hero for their own purposes, there’s no trope left unused by these filmmakers. It’s almost like if Barbie was given endless studio notes to appeal much more to younger audiences than anyone else, but unlike Barbie, this film doesn’t really have the intelligence to be anything other than typical family-friendly fare that you have undoubtedly seen time and time again in stuff like The Smurfs or Sonic the Hedgehog.”