Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
(C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' (written & directed by Tommy Wirkola) opens circa 1812 when young Hansel & Gretel burn a cannibalistic wicked witch to death in her gingerbread house oven. Years later, we see them as leather-clad adult orphans (Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton); a pair of siblings renowned for their skills, packing all sorts of advanced weaponry, ready to exterminate supernatural witches, & rescue kidnapped children at will.
Their latest case involves finding & saving 12 recently kidnapped kids & dispatching the all-powerful Grand witch/b*tch, Muriel (Famke Janssen), who plans to slaughter the local children for sacrifice at an upcoming Blood Moon Sabbath so that she can obtain unstoppable black magical powers. This specific case will also lead the siblings to a discovery about their own origins/past. Through all of this, Hansel meets a crimson-haired good witch (Pihla Viitala), & Gretel befriends a helpful troll; both of whom aid the siblings in trying to overcome the witch(es). Bloody mayhem ensues.
Director Tommy Wirkola takes an irreverent approach to this material with jokey anachronisms, contemporary weaponry (semi-automatic crossbows), & even giving Hansel "sweet sickness" as a consequence of his candy eating {diabetes, one of the few clever aspects of the script}. Also, Hansel & Gretel are no longer innocent children, but hot-blooded assassins who look to kill the cackling witches at any cost. There is crude language, too (F-bombs everywhere). And so, you can't really take anything you see & hear in this movie too seriously. This ISN'T your grandma's Hansel & Gretel story.
You know, this film is ... trash. But it's fun trash; an amiable romp through Brothers Grimm territory; chock full of fights, chases, trolls, demons, & other assorted devilry. And even though I said "amiable", there's a strong gore quotient; a grisly affair with sliced appendages, exploding heads, & gushes of blood. Though it's released in 2013, Jeremy Renner made 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' right before exploding onto the scene with Mission Impossible 4, The Bourne Legacy, & The Avengers; so his curious involvement with this film is somewhat understandable. Gemma Arterton makes for a spunky, sexy, yet lethal Gretel; she's pretty kickass. Famke Janssen is appropriately witchy; it's the kind of role she's excelled at before. And Peter Stormare is appropriately vile as a corrupt sheriff.
This movie, filmed in rural Germany, has a nice look about it: period set design, foreboding forests, misty landscapes, & ghoulish hags soaring on their broomsticks. I only wish that the script were ... better. Themes & characters could have used more depth. i.e., I'd have like more insight into the unique sibling relationship. So 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' doesn't cast a spell. And that's a shame. But overall, I expected far worse; something akin to 2005's godawful mess, The Brothers Grimm. As cheerfully cheesy rubbish, THIS film is better; even if that's faint praise.
Their latest case involves finding & saving 12 recently kidnapped kids & dispatching the all-powerful Grand witch/b*tch, Muriel (Famke Janssen), who plans to slaughter the local children for sacrifice at an upcoming Blood Moon Sabbath so that she can obtain unstoppable black magical powers. This specific case will also lead the siblings to a discovery about their own origins/past. Through all of this, Hansel meets a crimson-haired good witch (Pihla Viitala), & Gretel befriends a helpful troll; both of whom aid the siblings in trying to overcome the witch(es). Bloody mayhem ensues.
Director Tommy Wirkola takes an irreverent approach to this material with jokey anachronisms, contemporary weaponry (semi-automatic crossbows), & even giving Hansel "sweet sickness" as a consequence of his candy eating {diabetes, one of the few clever aspects of the script}. Also, Hansel & Gretel are no longer innocent children, but hot-blooded assassins who look to kill the cackling witches at any cost. There is crude language, too (F-bombs everywhere). And so, you can't really take anything you see & hear in this movie too seriously. This ISN'T your grandma's Hansel & Gretel story.
You know, this film is ... trash. But it's fun trash; an amiable romp through Brothers Grimm territory; chock full of fights, chases, trolls, demons, & other assorted devilry. And even though I said "amiable", there's a strong gore quotient; a grisly affair with sliced appendages, exploding heads, & gushes of blood. Though it's released in 2013, Jeremy Renner made 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' right before exploding onto the scene with Mission Impossible 4, The Bourne Legacy, & The Avengers; so his curious involvement with this film is somewhat understandable. Gemma Arterton makes for a spunky, sexy, yet lethal Gretel; she's pretty kickass. Famke Janssen is appropriately witchy; it's the kind of role she's excelled at before. And Peter Stormare is appropriately vile as a corrupt sheriff.
This movie, filmed in rural Germany, has a nice look about it: period set design, foreboding forests, misty landscapes, & ghoulish hags soaring on their broomsticks. I only wish that the script were ... better. Themes & characters could have used more depth. i.e., I'd have like more insight into the unique sibling relationship. So 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' doesn't cast a spell. And that's a shame. But overall, I expected far worse; something akin to 2005's godawful mess, The Brothers Grimm. As cheerfully cheesy rubbish, THIS film is better; even if that's faint praise.