Sony’s live-action Spider-Verse is a franchise that most would rather put behind them, but it does boast its fair share of fun, if not worthwhile, moments. Whether it be the so-bad-its-good line readings in Madame Web or the go-for-broke hijinks in the Venom trilogy, the franchise hasn’t been a total wash. There’s even something to like in Sony’s most recent superhero offering, Kraven the Hunter.
Sure, Kraven lacks the memeability that redeemed its predecessors, but it does make up for its humorlessness with a truly committed performance from Alessandro Nivola. He plays Alexei Sytsevich, aka the Rhino, the film’s primary antagonist. Though he doesn’t spend much time in the form most comic fans may recognize, allowing Nivola to explore the character’s human form is a surprisingly good choice in the long run. Some of the film’s best moments are born from Nivola’s improvisation, including a silent scream that’s quickly becoming Kraven’s weirdest — and funniest — scene.
