Author: DamianLevy

'Kraven The Hunter' (2024) Review : Wasted Potential Bafflingly, Kraven The Hunter is yet another film based on a character from the supporting roster of Spider-Man. Thus far, the web head’s cinematic success hasn't spilled over to any of the other contenders in this category, but maybe this time will be different. After all, the approach of turning villains into anti heroes has been a misguided strategy that failed Morbius, but somewhat worked for Venom. Unfortunately Kraven The Hunter more aligns with the former. If you know nothing about Kraven The Hunter, the film gets you up to speed with a fairly decent first act. A brutal action sequence sees Kraven taking his hunt to the seediest of society. His special set of skills are directed to the worst of the worst. It’s not the most conventional career choice, but thankfully, Kraven takes a nice long plane ride to think about his entire life. The extended flashback section of the film is carried by Russel Crowe and his thick russian accent, playing a young Kraven’s father. His character is a brick wall of a man who sees his wife’s death by suicide as weakness, and decides to aid his children’s grief by taking them on a hunt for a man eating lion. What’s most frustrating about Kraven The Hunter is its wasted potential. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a russian assassin, but thanks to being raised in the US, he sounds as threatening as a greeter at…

'Moana 2' (2024) Review : A Mediocre Christmas Movie At this time of year, many are likely gearing up for the familiar past time of watching Christmas movies. Red One has emerged as a contender for holiday entertainment that audiences can add to their lists before they check them twice. This time, it’s a hyper militarised operation at the north pole, led by the world’s largest elf played by Dwayne The Rock Johnson, whose only mission is to protect Santa Claus, and Santa just went missing.The movie begins with a large amount of set up. Red One introduces viewers to a north pole that’s run like a well organized army compound, and shows Santa moving at hyper speed to deliver presents all around the world. The methods may be different, but the aesthetics are largely the same. There are elves running around, the sleigh is pulled by reindeer, though Santa Claus swaps his big belly for big arms.It’s a unique take on a classic story, and its the best part of Red One. It’s when the plot kicks in that things go awry. Santa’s kidnapping kicks off an action sequence that’s conceptually sound, but looks too fake to take seriously. The visual effects are too unpolished to convey any sense of stakes, and end up being an ugly distraction.Some action scenes fare better than others. A fight against 3 snowmen on a beach is a pretty solid sequence, but it’s held back…