Review of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) by Matthew C — 08 Mar 2014

I was actually fairly entertained by this rock n roll blood spurting adaptation of the timeless classic. It certainly doesn't have to be R. Cut the language blood and sex and it's automatically better.

And the list of sub par storytelling; bad childhood experience leads to a career, standard villain that is somehow badder than everyone else, annoying characters who are supporting obstacles, a good witch that is sex charged, it goes on.

The flaw is summed up in let's make a kick ass witch hunting film and stop there. Jeremy Renner is a way good actor but here even he can't lift the one note script. Gemma has more arch but neither grow or change.

In fact the only real character in this film is the troll named Edward. Ha! Nonetheless the film does what it has to in getting me to want those witches dead. Never mind that they didn't delve into witches and why it was a problem, never mind that our main characters are flat or the villain forgettable - Hansel and Gretel was what it was intended to be.

That's a success in its own right.