“Kraven the Hunter” (Action/Thriller: 2 hours, 07 minutes)
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger and Russell Crowe
Director: J.C. Chandor
Rated: R (Strong bloody violence and strong language)
Movie Review:
It is nice that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is embracing the violence that is superhero movies. The R-rating fits the comic books and graphic novels on which many of these movies are based. “Kraven the Hunter” is an appealing, entertaining movie, although the story has more going on than needed.

Sergei Kravinoff (Taylor-Johnson) and his brother Dmitri Kravinoff (Hechinger from “Gladiator II”) are the sons of Russian crime boss Nikolai Kravinoff (Crowe). Nikolai wants his sons to be strong men, hunters who make everyone else their prey. The father’s desire become true after Sergei inherits animalistic abilities after suffering injuries from a vicious lion attack. Sergei becomes Kraven the Hunter. He is a vigilante against evil people, especially taking down animal poachers.

One must cheer when Kraven the Hunter retaliates against poachers. He suggests a real hunter should fight bare hands against an animal if only hunting animals for their horns or just pure sport. This would give animals a fair chance.

Kraven is one of Spider-Man’s archnemeses. Marvel has been making many movies that show traditional supervillains as antiheroic characters. A prime example is the space alien symbiote in “Venom” (Director Ruben Fleischer, 2018).

“Kraven the Hunter” is an enjoyable action movie. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven well. Several other talented cast members including Academy Award actress Ariana DeBose playing Calypso Ezili joined him.  The cast makes their characters interesting personas although not enough time is available to explore them more intricately.

Combine that with interesting action sequences and “Kraven the Hunter” is a worthy induction to broaden the Spider-Man part of MCU. Multiple villains and substories distract from the main narrative, like the rushed and lackluster first 35 minutes, but the movie remains interesting enough to entertain.
Grade: B- (Despite story elements, the hunt is on.)

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” (Animation/Action: 2 hours, 14 minutes)
Starring: Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Lorraine Ashbourne and Luca Pasqualino
Director: Kenji Kamiyama
Rated: PG-13 (Strong violence)
Movie Review:
Famed director-writer of anime television series “Eden of the East” (2009) and “Ghost in the Shell” movies and episodes, Kenji Kamiyama just put his touch on the “Star Wars” universe, directing an episode of “Star Wars: Visions.” Now, he expands on “The Lord of the Rings” movies by Peter Jackson. Kamiyama’s style and the anime format of repetitive talk and fight scenes work well for “The War of the Rohirrim,” set 183 years before Jackson’s original trilogy of films.

“The War of the Rohirrim” follows House of Helm Hammerhand (Cox), the legendary King of Rohan. King Helm accidentally kills the Freca, a Dunlending lord just after Helm’s daughter Hèra (Wise) rejects the marriage proposal of her childhood friend Wulf (Pasqualino), the son of Freca. Wulf vows vengeance for his father’s death and attacks Rohirrim. The aggressive and swift attack of Wulf and his allies forces King Helm and his people to take harbor in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg later known as Helm’s Deep. Hèra becomes the unexpected hero, leading her people when all appears lost.

The fighting action scenes of anime work for the “Lord of the Rings.” In anime, characters often talk and fight, in a cyclical sequence. In media based on Tolkien’s writings, the characters talk and run and then fight, a recurring sequence also. The anime action style works here.

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is a nice return to the world of J. R. R. Tolkien’s novels. While familiar people and places from the “Lord of the Rings” reincarnations emerge throughout, the movie feels more like an anime plot than a traditional “Lord of the Rings” feature.

However, the story still feels familiar enough, especially the epic battle scenes near its conclusion, that one realizes this animated screenplay is based on Tolkien’s conceptions. “The War of the Rohirrim” may not match Peter Jackson’s original trilogy’s grandeur, but it provides an insatiable nostalgia for its predecessor photoplays’ mark on moviedom.
Grade: B- (An affable return to Middle-earth.)