Kraven The Hunter (Sony Pictures)

Hunting Season is on! And Kraven is taking more than just names. Kraven The Hunter releases this coming December at a cinema near you.

Genre: Action / Sci-Fi

Release Date: 13 December 2024

Director: J.C. Chandor

Story by: Richard Wenk

Screenplay by: Richard Wenk, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway

Based on: Marvel Comics

Distributed by: Sony Pictures

Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana Debose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott and Russel Crowe.

Plot

Kraven the Hunter is the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless 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.

Catch the trailer online now!

Like an oasis in the desert, Dune: Part 2 brings life to cinema in a refreshing way. Experience Denis Villeneuve’s blockbuster on the big screen, the way it was meant to be seen.

Plot

Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

Review

Just a word of caution, spoilers ahead.

Denis Villeneuve brought this masterpiece to life like no other. An amazing cast who really played their parts well!

The story picks up where Dune: Part 1 ended off. As you may recall from Dune: Part 1 House Atreides, led by Duke Leto Atreides, arrives on Arrakeen, with the assignment of taking charge of Arrakis, however, the assignment is short-lived as the Harkonnens along with the Sardaukar invade the Atreides family has to fight for their lives. Leto is captured, but manages to sacrifice himself to take down Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. Lady Jessica and Paul Atreides, Leto’s son ends up in the desert and crosses paths with the Fremen, the inhabitants of Arrakis.

If you haven’t watched Dune: Part 1, I high recommend doing so.

We see Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya reprise their roles as Paul Atreides and Chani, respectively. They bring the roles to life like water would in a desert setting and between the two halves of the movie you can see a clear transition with the role of Paul as he moves from not wanting power to eventually declaring a war.

Austin Butler portrayed the part of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. I found myself rooting so much for Feyd-Rautha just based on his story. I totally enjoyed Austin’s performance as I have watched him perform before in Elvis, and this made him a favorite already. The make-up team sure did amazing work with the Harkonnens. The fight scenes are to die for and Austin and Timothée delivers a spicy finale.

Javier Bardem returns as Stilgar, leader of the Fremen. He delivers a great performance as Stilgar and is one of the strongest believers in Paul’s destiny. Josh Brolin is back as Gurney Halleck. He is one of the few who survived the invasion by the Harkonnen, and is reunited with Paul.

Dune: Part 2 combines politics with religion and warfare as the fight for control over Arrakis becomes heated when Paul accepts his destiny, declaring himself to be the prophesized Lisan al Gaib. Paul goes from fighter, riding a sandworm, to eventually leading an attack on the very emperor who encouraged the fall of House Atreides. Family dynamics play a big part as you discover that Paul is more than just a target of house Harkonnen, he is also family.

Hans Zimmer provides musical excellence, while the cinematic experience is totally out of this world. The soundtrack of Dune: Part 2 is available on Spotify. Denis makes Arrakis real for us in vivid scenery of the main areas on Arrakis and with a story so powerful, I will always want to go back to visit the sands of Dune.

The trailer doesn’t spoil much of the movie. In fact there are a few surprise appearances that will leave you hungry for more. The story delivers a plot twist at the end. There is no post-credits scene so no need to wait till the end. Dune: Part 2 has a runtime of 165 minutes.

I rate this masterpiece a 5 out of 5. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Denis has planned for Dune in the future. You don’t need to see the future to know that this is an excellent movie. Go and watch it and if possible, watch it in IMAX, how it was meant to be seen.

Frank Herbert wrote a masterpiece, and Denis Villeneuve brought it to life!

Do it for the fighters! Do it for Arrakis! Watch Dune: Part 2 at a cinema near you!