Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
Certified: 16
Duration: 88 minutes
Directed: Tommy Wirkola
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen, Pihla Viitala, Derek Mears, Thomas Mann, Peter Stormare, Rainer Bock, Bjørn Sundquist, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Joanna Kulig
KRS release
The intense Jeremy Renner and delectable Gemma Artertorn play Hansel and Gretel, the titular heroes of this dark gothic horror, action and comedy pastiche that aims to entertain all those who are willing to submit to its charms.
The two characters are brother and sister who have had their parents murdered. They had faced off a witch in their childhood and their parents had been killed by a witch; therefore they have turned into witch-hunters.
When they are called to Oxford where the locals are concerned about the children that are being abducted, they arrive just in time to save Mina (Pihla Viitala), a woman who was about to be killed by Sheriff Berringer (Peter Stormare) on the accusations of being a witch.
Young Ben (Thomas Mann) is a fan of their adventures. They also get the attention of Edward (Derek Mears), a troll who is a servant to witches.
On the scene is Muriel (Famke Janssen), a magician who is very powerful and is going to carry out the human sacrifice of 12 children so as to combine it with the heart of a good witch and thus make herself immune to all efforts to kill her. Hansel and Gretel must find the children and foil her plans.
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is a mix of action, horror and fantasy that, from its title, immediately puts its cards clearly on the table.
Anyone who is interested in such a premise knows from the beginning what one is signing up for and thus, the B-movie premise and outlandishly bubble gum goings-on would not be a surprise.
In fact, it is these factors that make this flick in my fan boy eyes such a delight.
Tommy Wirkola of the cult Nazi zombie film Dead Snow (2009) fame, has directed a film that is over the top and very different from the other recent entries in the revisioning of fairy tales, such as Beastly (2011), Red Riding Hood (2011), Mirror Mirror (2012) and Snow White and the Huntsman (2012).
This US-German production is slickly produced and is first of all a winner in its sense of humour which is underlined in the movie’s proceedings.
This is all done in a way that one will never take this escapist piece of entertainment as serious fare.
The fact that the film is always bearing a sly wink makes all the over-the-top antics much more palatable. Colourful and boisterous in its swagger, Hansel and Gretel ends up making for a very good tribute to the Sam Raimi and his films.
The special effects are mostly of the computer-generated style, but there are also creatures like Edward, the troll, a puppet creation of the Spectral Motion company which also worked on the Hellboy movies, among others.
The film also plays host to several interesting ideas: Hansel being a diabetic after having all that candy when he was a young lad in the witch’s candy hut is one of them.
In the screen beauty stakes, Viitala makes for delicious window dressing while Janssen puts some nice evil tones into the proceedings. Combined with Arterton, it is a rare genre that sports such a trio of actresses in one film.
What is an overall pulpish adventure is also so over the top that it will have you grinning and happily munching popcorn. I know I was smiling widely when a Gatling gun ended up making an appearance!