Kraven the Hunter has released to almost universal negativity. Bad dialogue, terrible CGI, weak script, and much more plague the supposed last entry into Sony’s own Marvel Universe. Made entirely of Spider-Man villains, it seems to have been a failure, and after waiting an additional year after it was delayed, Kraven the Hunter seemingly puts a fitting bookend on the experience, after missteps with Madame Web, Morbius, and the Venom franchise.
At the time of writing, Kraven the Hunter currently has a 15% Tomatometer score, matching Jared Leto’s Morbius, and beating Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney’s paltry 11% offering in Madame Web. Through the annals of time though, there’s many terrible films that somehow have been better received than this, and these are just some of them that you’d never expect.
Mortal Kombat (1995) 47%
Not to be confused with 2021’s better effort, the 1995 Mortal Kombat was one of the ‘original’ video game movies, and unfortunately for most, part of the trend that got video game films a massively bad name. Seemingly loved only by fans of the video game franchise itself, the film was plagued with bad effects (even for the time), poor script and story, suspect acting, and most criminally, horrendous fight sequences (something Kraven the Hunter shares) that not only didn’t pay the respect due to the beloved characters but also were poorly choreographed and boring to watch – not exactly what you’d want from a high octane, bloody and brutal fighting film.
Predator 2 (1990) 30%
There’s no denying that the original Predator is an absolute masterpiece. Introducing a pop-culture icon, an arguably perfect action film with a genre twist mid-film is no easy feat, but it managed it. Predator 2 however, did not manage it, or even get close to it.
Swapping out the claustrophobic jungle for a by-the-numbers Los Angeles, a nonsense storyline including gang warfare, and explaining too much about the enigmatic Predator race all seemed like a good idea at the time, but it couldn’t have been a worse decision.
House of Wax (2005) 28%
House of Wax definitely has a unique spin on the slasher premise, with some interesting kills and unfortunate situations for the group of unwitting victims. It does, however, also heavily rely on Paris Hilton, who can’t act, the editing and pacing are atrocious, and even for a slasher of this ilk, the story is nearly non-existent. All that aside though, seeing someone alive and encased in wax is as terrifying as seeing the house of wax falling apart if stupid.
Daddy Day Care (2003) 27%
Stand-up comic and 80s/90s action comedy legend Eddie Murphy went through a big slump in the late 90s/early 00s, with Daddy Day Care being one of the bigger perpetrators of his Hollywood fall-from-grace. A feel-good film that aims to break gender stereotypes, which it does to a degree, but it’s lacking in actual comedy, a villain that’s as cartoonish as she is ridiculous, and more besides. It’s not Murphy’s worst film, but it’s far from his best.
Evan Almighty (2007) 24%
The unnecessary sequel to Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty seemingly forgot what made the first one great. Starring Steve Carell as his character from the original, the entire film is a contrived mess of forced plot points, pacing issues, and comedy that falls flat. The first had religious overtones as a means to make the protagonist (Jim Carrey) realize the error of his ways and to become a better person and partner, but the sequel makes the powers and religious themes the entirety of the plot and instead makes a mockery of the whole situation. There are no over-arching questions of morals or power, and there’s no real comedy. A shame, considering Carell’s comedy chops.
Judge Dredd (1995) 22%
Not to be confused with the superior Karl Urban version, no. We’re talking about the Sylvester Stallone-led 1995 Judge Dredd. A character known for his stalwart attitude towards enforcing the law as much as he doesn’t show his face, yet this version has him helmetless most of the film, cracking jokes and ignoring the source material. This is almost as bad as Kraven the Hunter turning a long-standing comic villain into some sort of anti-hero.
AVP: Alien vs Predator (2004) 21%
The second entry of the Predator franchise, and one that would be better off forgotten. The fans of both franchises could see a crossover was poised to be what everyone needed, and it should and could have been a massive success.
Unfortunately, what we got with AVP: Alien vs Predator was a mixed mess that managed to go against the established lore of both franchises, whilst also annoying the two sets of fans with the boring characters, PG13 rating when an R was needed, and boring fight sequences between two of sci-fi’s greatest icons.
Soul Plane (2004) 18%
Kevin Hart is a household name nowadays, with countless stand-up specials, even more comedy films, and a partnership with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson that is bordering on annoying. However, this wasn’t always the case, and one of his first leading man roles was in Soul Plane, the story of a man who sued his way to a $100 million and his own airline, after getting stuck on a toilet plane seat.
The lines of parody and comedy blur, and it’s a testament to Kevin Hart that he didn’t allow the film to bury his career and still managed to succeed.
The Happening (2008) 17%
M. Night Shyamalan is the man you’d call when you need your film to have a twist, but whether it’s telegraphed or makes sense is completely up in the air. He wowed audiences with The Sixth Sense, with a twist zero people saw coming, but since then, he has seemingly become stuck on subverting expectations with his films, including The Happening. A hackneyed attempt at sending a message on climate change and suicide awareness that ended up being nothing more than a boring, stiff, and uninspired affair.
Rush Hour 3 (2007) 17%
The first two Rush Hour films are cult classics, with many pointing to the partnership of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as a driving force behind all the good points of the films. Whether it was the time between the second and third, the poor script with nonsensical storylines, or average acting and comedy, Rush Hour 3 disappointed everyone. Whether we see the long-rumored fourth installment is yet to be seen, either way, this much-maligned third installment still managed to better Kraven the Hunter, which should say everything about the quality of Sony’s last installment in their Marvel Universe.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
