Review of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) by Filipeneto — 22 Aug 2021

Once again, the Grimm Brothers' tales are the basis of a blockbuster. I am particularly remembering the 2005 movie "The Brothers Grimm", because it was a film that came a lot to my mind while watching this movie. I found them very similar, both in tonic and in structure: two brothers who are dedicated, in a way, to the supernatural, and who have to prevent an evil ritual involving a series of children in a city anywhere in the center of Europe.

The film's plot hardly needs any introduction, we all know the original tale. The film builds on that base and tells us how Hansel and Gretel grew up to become the most fearsome witch hunters of their time. It also explores the past and the unresolved relationship with their parents, but it doesn't go beyond that. The film was directed by Tommy Wirkola, who I had never heard of, and seems quite amateur in his way of directing. Suffice it to say that the movie doesn't know if it's horror, action or adventure. It could be an action-adventure blockbuster for teens and young adults, but the director abused the gore, the blood and graphic violence. I felt like I was watching a violent video game and not a quality movie, and the violence of the carnage scenes leads me to advise against it for underage teenagers (you, parents, read this well).

The cast is led by two young actors, Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton. Both seem to be fully up to the challenge put to them, are elegant, attractive and charismatic enough to ensure the leadership. The most palpable problem here is the uninteresting and amorphous material they received, and the absence of a competent director, able to guide them in order to bring out the best in their effort. The result is a duo of actors who look like cowboys, for their attitude. Much more convincing, Famke Janssen presents us with a work loaded with malice and pleasant perversity, which fits with her character and the film in general. I also liked the work of Peter Stormare and Pihla Viitala, two supporting actors who help the film get some life and movement.

On a technical level, the film bets everything on quality CGI, realistic enough to look good and give us a visually elegant and credible cinematography, to which are added good sets and visually impressive costumes (particularly Arterton's). Being a fantasy story, there is some room for the use of imagination, and this was reflected in the costumes and also in some props, such as the weapons used, which range from crossbows to what appear to be shotguns and heavy machine guns. The opening credits look very well done and make a good introduction to the film's theme. The soundtrack initially seemed a bit histrionic, but I ended up concluding that it fit satisfactorily into the final set.