![]() ![]() ![]() Before the screening, Wirkola said that, although some films claim to have scenes "too graphic for audiences," that was actually the case with Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Since I missed the theatrical release, it's hard for me to say just where the 12 minutes of previously-unseen material was cut in. While this is the biggest set piece of the film, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters resolves in a much more personal battle that does justice to the heroes at the center of the picture. Albino witches, half-witches, Siamese twin witches and more swarm over the cliffs in an all-out battle against the siblings. At times, the witches may seem to be inspired by Hocus Pocus or The Wizard of Oz or other such similar fare, but when the entire coven unites there is plenty of variety to be found. While the entire film is populated with creative and comedic fight scenes, there's one big battle near the end that shows off Wirkola's imaginative vision. The plot, however, gets a bit lost in the second act as it meanders back and forth between the town, the countryside and the lair of the big bad witch, Muriel ( Famke Janssen).Īfter we slog through the disorienting swamp that is the middle of the film, we find Muriel at the center of an overall plot arc that resolves nicely in the third act. The co-stars - played by Peter Stormare, Thomas Mann and Derek Mears, among others - are solid additions who hit all the right notes with the audience, whether they be dastardly, comedic or just endearing. Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton get equal amounts of ass-kicking and one-liners, though they're a bit too sexy together to be a believable brother-sister duo. Wirkola sets up a pretty basic premise: send the witch hunters after various witches terrorizing the countryside, introduce a cast of memorable supporting characters aligned on either side of the good/evil line and throw in a few plot twists to keep the audience guessing. Luckily, the mayor of said town is a soft-spoken and rational man who hires the heroic witch hunters to solve their problem for them. After an introductory scene that establishes Wirkola's brand of comedic horror much better than the film's marketing campaign did, we jump forward in time to a Frankenstein-ian little burgh populated by townspeople who are terrified by the recent plague of witches and eager to burn suspicious ne'er-do-wells at the stake. Rather than helpless children lost in the woods and getting fat by gnawing on candy houses, the brother-sister duo discover their particular knack for witch hunting at a very early age. While not as wholly original as Dead Snow, Wirkola certainly does put his own spin on the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel.
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