Movie Review: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
The children’s tale of Hansel & Gretel stops after they shove the witch in the oven and burn her alive. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters imagines what life could have been like if the tale followed them to adulthood. Starring Jeremy Renner (The Avengers) as Hansel and Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time) as Gretel, the film is a rollicking and fast-paced action flick.
The film begins with Hansel and Gretel as children. They are taken to the woods by their father. Their parents don’t come for them, so they wander and encounter the witch and her candy house. Both demonstrate cunning and skill in killing the witch. They never see their parents again, a mystery that is revealed to them during the film. The opening credit sequence summarizes Hansel and Gretel’s career as they develop into very successful witch hunters. Cutting their formative years allows the film to get right to the action. Once the action starts, Hansel & Gretel barrels forward at high speed with few moments to catch your breath. When the film takes a moment or two to build any new relationships or show what Hansel and Gretel are like as siblings, the moment is brief and interrupted by someone attacking them. Renner and Arterton take what little is given to them and create a believable sibling bond, but the romance between Hansel and Mina (Pihla Viitala) happens so fast it feels shallow.
Hansel & Gretel takes advantage of its R rating. Witches pull apart men. Hansel blows the heads off of witches. The manner the conflict between Gretel and Sheriff Berringer (Peter Stormare) is resolved is gruesomely icky and satisfying. Each action piece builds on the last, culminating to a crescendo that is delightfully over-the-top. This is a film that relishes in the guns, big guns, and bigger guns Hansel and Gretel have in their arsenal, so when the Gatling gun comes out, it’s expected. We would be disappointed if such a ludicrous weapon was left out.
Famke Janssen as Muriel
The costume design impressed me. I play video games and have watched many films, so I know how bare Gretel could have been. Gretel is covered with just a hint of cleavage. Both Hansel and Gretel are sleek and sexy in outfits that fit the lifestyle their characters live.
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters knows what type of film it is, and everyone involved embraced the tone and mood of the film. Renner has a few funny quips, and Arterton is a capable heroine. Famke Janssen nibbles the scenery just right as the evil witch Muriel; she could have taken Muriel to crackling territory, but she doesn’t. Muriel is a cunning foe who tests the siblings’ skills and resolve. More character development would have been nice, but director Tommy Wirkola delivers a film with furious fight scenes and likeable heroes that is bloody good fun.