Sony gets a lot of criticism from Marvel fans for their Spider-Man spinoff movies, not just for weak scripts or poorly developed adaptations in general, but for the special effects and CGI as well. Perhaps to little surprise, the newly released Kraven the Hunter is no different. Even though the box office is struggling, some fans have made their way out to see what could be the last spin-off movie from the studio’s Spider-Man Universe. One of the biggest targets fans have after seeing the film is the Marvel character Rhino. The audience seems a bit split on whether they like the character’s design, but most don’t seem happy about it at all.
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“Bruh, the game design just right there. How did they mess up when they could just directly copy this design and just do some minus change,” X user @k38473140 wrote, noting that Rhino’s design from the Spider-Man video games could have easily been replicated. Another user took it even further, comparing the look to a goopy Power Rangers villain. “What in the Ivan Ooze is that makeup design? Sony, PLEASE sell the Spider-Man film rights to Marvel Studios,” @Goofyfan_Chuck wrote.
Others were unhappy with the fact that the Rhino’s comic look is easy enough on the page but his design has never been done justice in live-action. @TheMcrees writes, “I just find it funny how rhino is just a guy in a rhino suit but movies can’t seem to make him look good lol.”
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This is, of course, not the first time Rhino has appeared on the big screen, as the Marvel villain was previously used in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with Paul Giamatti in the role. In the pages of Marvel comics, Rhino is a villain who was originally a mafia henchman transformed by a super soldier experiment, granting him superhuman strength and durability. Though some versions have played with a man-rhino hybrid, the character is mostly known for just having a rhino themed outfit. For Giamatti’s version back in 2014, Rhino’s giant suit looks more like a robo-tank and was a major departure for comics fans.
With Kraven the Hunter the villain appeared marginally similar to his original look, though with tough, scaled skin rather than a mechanical armor. Some fans seem to prefer the Kraven version for sure. “Having Rhino look like a mutant is better than having him as a tank like at the end of The Amazing SpiderMan 2,” @AarontheWise wrote about the villain’s look. Others also found themselves damning it with faint praise, with @tylerduran21 writing, “i feel like i’m the only one that thinks it doesn’t even look bad.”
However, there is also a counterpoint that is crucial in this matter – the tone of the movie. Kraven the Hunter was billed as a violent project, even receiving an R rating. Some opinions took this into account when they argued that the character’s design goes against this. Since a heavier tone is expected, it’s also anticipated that Rhino would be bigger and even scarier. On that subject, @mgItsMclovin wrote: “Would’ve looked way better if they had scaled him to the size that he’s supposed to be.”
Despite Sony trying to bring Rhino closer to the comics (while also making him fit in Kraven the Hunter aesthetically) the challenge lies in how to make the character look real. On the one hand, the special effects in the Spider-Man spinoff movies have never been a strong suit; but it’s also true that Marvel fans can be quite demanding.
Kraven the Hunter is now in theaters.
