Between this past summer’s Snow White and the Huntsman and this
upcoming spring’s Jack the Giant Slayer,
Hollywood has shown a considerable amount of interest in adding darker twists
to classic fairytales, and the true test of this emerging trend would come with
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Now, where there was absolutely no logic
behind the relatively recent decision to turn Abraham Lincoln into a badass
executioner of vampires, it wasn’t as dramatic a stretch to imagine the
beleaguered orphans taking up a vendetta against witches. Add-in skyrocketing star Jeremy Renner and
the perpetually gorgeous Gemma Arterton wielding steampunk variations of
classic weapons and brutally dispatching enemies, and this upcoming film looked
like the perfect popcorn action-horror fantasy.
Leading up to its release, you couldn’t turn a corner without seeing
some kind of promotion, and thankfully, based on the trailers and cast
interviews, it was clear that Hansel
& Gretel: Witch Hunters wasn’t taking itself too seriously, thereby
teasing considerable potential for self-depreciating humor that would make the
project all the easier to swallow. And
truthfully, I have always had a propensity towards dark fantasy mythology, and
where vampires and werewolves have dominated popular culture recently, maybe
the time was right for witches to take the spotlight…in gory 3D no less.
Fun, action-packed, refreshingly
self-aware, and filled to the brim with badass attitude, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters was a ridiculously entertaining
surprise at the theater that I will be front of the line to purchase when it
hits home media. Admittedly, if you were
among the first to scoff when you heard the movie title, then this clearly isn’t
your type of project, but if you can turn off your brain and simply accept this
creative reimagining of classic characters, then there is plenty to enjoy. They may not be overly sympathetic
protagonists, but Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton work remarkably
well-together, adding plenty of adrenaline to the already impressive action
sequences and weaponry displays designed to fight against Famke Janssen’s
gleefully evil villain. And though a
good portion of the laughs are unintentional, there are some pretty clever
displays of humor within the script, including a thoroughly brilliant extended
joke involving Hansel’s childhood diet.
In the end, Witch Hunters doesn’t
try to infuse itself with depth or purpose; the film simply takes an
unconventional concept, runs with it, and it all pays-off.
