‘Hansel & Gretal: Witch Hunters’ is a gleefully twisted supernatural horror fantasy flick that takes the classic Grimm fairy tale and turns into an over-the-top spectacle of action, gore and frights. Directed and written by Tommy Wirkola, when the movie came out it was unfairly destroyed by critics and quickly fell into obscurity. While, this isn’t a perfect movie by any means, it still offers gloriously messy and fun time.
The Plot = Many years after being abandoned by their father and killing the witch that captured them, now fast forward many years later brother/sister duo Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretal (Gemma Arthurton) are now professional witch hunters who track down and kill witches for a living.
This is a big, bold and high-energy reinterpretation of a classic well-known fairy tale with plenty of high-octane action sequences, over the top violence and creative gory set pieces. The movie delivers what is expected, a dark twist on a familiar tale and while it lacks nuance and depth, it excels in campy fun and visual creativity.
The direction by Tommy Wirkola is incredibly solid as he leans hard into the chaotic spectacle, crafting a raw and dark fairy tale aesthetic with a grindhouse feel and doesn’t hold back with its unapologetically violent tone infused with style and a dry sense of humor which helps it stand out amongst the crowd.
However, there are quite a few flaws here such as the movie gets a bit too silly for its own good and sometimes can’t decide whether it’s a parody or a serious fantasy throwback film. The pacing never lags, but the last half of the movie felt rather rushed and lost focus and certain elements and supporting characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. Thankfully the movie never takes itself too seriously and just goes wild with its concept and there’s more than enough entertainment value to be had here
The performances from the cast are fantastic Jeremy Renner and Gemma Artherton each gives fantastic performances in their respective roles, and their chemistry feels natural, and both handle the action scenes with confidence. Famke Janssen gives a stellar performance as Muriel, the Grand Witch and steals every scene she’s in with her commanding and engaging screen presence.
My Score! - 73%
Plot and Storyline - 75%
Structure - 69%
Engagement - 74%
Plausibility - 68%
Acting and Performances - 74%
72%
I enjoyed this movie. I watched it in the theater when released. Not perfect but for what I watch it is entertaining.
