Review of The Last Witch Hunter (2015) by Nilufer R — 22 Jan 2016

A typical Vin Diesel-vehicle, The Last Witch Hunter fully relies on the charm of its main character while it offers nothing that could be considered above the level of mediocrity. Action-packed with glimpses of supernatural suspense, the movie is clichéd, filled with obvious plot-holes and only some moments of good humor and Diesel-driven excellence save this latest attempt for a franchise from being a complete flop (financially it is, indeed a huge flop for its studio).

Kaulder (Vin Diesel) is a medieval witch-hunter who is cursed by a Witch Queen just moments before killing her. Cursed with immortality and with no family left, his only purpose is to continue its fight against the witches inhabiting the planet in the beginning of the 21st Century. His casual "daily witch-hunting" is one day disturbed by the sudden and strange death of his assistant (Michael Kane), a death that seems to be part of a much bigger and dangerous plot designed by the dark powers.

Summarized like that The Last Witch Hunter does not seem as something unique or special, but as a relatively watchable horror-action-supernatural-adventure. And it would have almost reached the level of being a passable, if not a recommendable, movie, if director Brech Eisner had paid more detailed attention to two main issues: obviously plot-holes and surprisingly poor effects. For a movie that relies heavily on effects, I was surprised by the lower than usual overall level of effects. Having only Vin Diesel as your only asset could certainly save your movie from being a total disaster, but it could hardly help you have a passable end result.

In conclusion, if you are a fan of Vin Diesel, you could potentially even like The Last Witch Hunter. If you love the genre, this is also valid. If you, however, approach the movie with any high expectations you would be hugely disappointed. It is just watchable if on an intercontinental or longer flight and you want to see something that is just not too annoying...