Witches and violence and trolls, oh my!
“Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” takes a dark spin on the classic fairy tale about two siblings who get lost in the woods and lured into a house entirely made of sweets.
With a more violent approach, Hansel (Jeremy Renner, “The Bourne Legacy”) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton, “Tamara Drewe”) use the realm’s latest technology to put evil witches in their place by burning, stabbing and shooting them to their death. When the bounty hunters are hired to investigate witchery in a small town, they soon realize that it is coincidentally linked to their mysterious past.
Going into the R-rated film, viewers probably expect “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” to be a total miss (the rating itself is extremely misleading). Believe it or not, it hits in all the right places.
All chuckles about the ridiculous premise and title aside, the film actually has a good plot that is neither predictable nor confusing. Additionally, it is the ideal amount of time, not too long or too short, cranking in slightly under an hour and a half. The music was also perfect, a mix of the mystical with the modern.
With that being said, “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” had a few faults. The film takes place clearly way back in the middle ages, so using the high-tech weapons from the new millennium doesn’t quite fit. The acting is average, but some of the dialogue seemed forced, specifically the f-bomb drops. Considering the R rating, it was pretty tame, but there is a scene that makes all stomachs churn of discomfort.
The extremes are what make “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” a fun, action-packed movie. Viewers will definitely be pleasantly surprised. Don’t rush to see this in theaters, but definitely check it out at some point this season.
sgore@theeaglonline.com
